Sibyl
by Peregrine2
Summary: Cassie discovers additional branches to the Balcoin family tree. One of them knows secrets about the circle that could divide them forever. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Sibyl-Secret Circle, Rated K+ for coarse language, Adam/Cassie/Faye**

**By Peregrine**

**Summary:**What happens when the circle is bisected by a teller of fortunes?

****Disclaimer: **I do not own The Secret Circle or its characters. They belong to L.J. Smith, Kevin Williamson, and the CW Network.**

**1.**

Faye tucked the flier under one arm and smirked at the sight of Cassie Blake trudging in Adam's wake. "Won't this be fun?"

"So Cassie," she said, shortening her stride to match the diminutive blonde's. "Your secret's out."

Cassie's blue eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

Adam stopped to wait and Faye ignored his warning glance. "I know you've been practicing," Faye said in a stage whisper.

Cassie folded her arms. "Yeah?"

Faye opened the flier and flashed it at her three friends. "Totally. Why don't you keep us in the loop before going all Ren Faire on us?"

"Faye," Adam warned, nodding sideways at the small but curious crowd gathering behind them.

"You're insane." Cassie's breath hissed out as she grabbed the paper and stuffed it in her backpack.

Faye pulled out another copy of the flier and rattled it for dramatic effect. "Fortune tellers needed. I think you qualify." Some of their classmates laughed mockingly and shoved by them, but a few were hanging on Faye's words.

Cassie glared up at her and felt power raising the fine hairs on her arms. "Doesn't take a psychic to know a psycho when I see one."

Faye held up her hands in mock dismay. "Ooh, verbal darts. Is that the best you can do?"

"Don't test me." Cassie tore the flier into little bits and watched them fall. With a half smile, she skirted around the three witches and headed straight to Honors English.

Cassie was always under surveillance. Whether it was Faye mocking her across the room, or Adam staring from afar, she was always on stage. And lately, she felt like everyone's puppet, strings being jerked one way by the circle, and another way by the dark longings of her Blackwell blood.

Jake was gone, her grandmother was losing her mind, and she was increasingly feeling the pull of her dark side.

It was more than awareness, like the day some kid in gym had annoyed her and she turned to glare at him. Next thing she knew, the boy had tripped and lost the game for his team. Or the time Sally had gone overboard on her Adam mantra and suddenly her Coke glass spilled all over her expensive iPhone.

These were minor incidents, but they were weaving themselves into the normal thread of her life.

_What am I turning into? And why does part of me like it?_

Cassie could hardly bring this to the others. They already were afraid of her, so how much worse would it get when she spilled about her dark magic?

The only one who understood was on a boat bound for some witch hunter refuge, trapped by ashwood and lacking the collective power of his circle.

Like it or not, Jake's fate was entwined with theirs, and if they sat idly by, they were no better than sheep.

She sunk her right hand into her pocket and her fingers closed around the crumpled flier.

Cassie unfolded it and re-read its contents.

**Help others see their whole universe. If you have good instincts and a flair for the dramatic, we want to hear from you. Contact .**

Cassie was drawing away from them, and it was keeping Adam up at night. His nail biting habit was back in force, along with the habitual pacing that wore deeper divots in the already faded carpet.

Back and forth he went, wondering for the hundredth time how he could break through the walls she threw up so effortlessly.

How could he possibly help Cassie with fighting her dark side when she refused to discuss it?

Diana seemed hell bent on avoiding him, so any discussion was always through the safety net of the others.

And Faye? She thought the whole thing was cool, and wanted to channel Blackwell.

Melissa was still disengaged, and therapy didn't seem to be helping her work through her grief.

In the past, he would have asked his Dad, but any discussion about Blackwell put him squarely in the sights of Charles Meade. The last thing Adam wanted to do was get his father in trouble with Diane's scary father. The guy creeped him out, and he'd always sensed malice behind that easy smile.

He might have approached Jane Blake, but something was seriously wrong with her, and even that seemed suspicious in light of all that had happened since the circle was bound.

Suddenly, the sea breeze gusted through the window near the bulletin board and ruffled the edges of all the index cards and community announcements. One in particular was dislodged by the wind, which sent it skittering down the aisle to Adam's feet.

Adam picked it up and raised his brows slightly at the Ren Faire announcement. He looked around to see if Faye was outside pulling pranks, but the parking lot was empty. With a sigh, he studied it more closely and frowned at the slightly transparent symbol.

It was familiar, perhaps seen in some dusty tome while doing research at the uni library.

He cocked his head thoughtfully before folding the paper and tucking it in his back pocket.

_Maybe this is the outlet I've been seeking._


	2. Chapter 2

2.

[Faye]

Faye took off after school without telling anyone. They expected her at the abandoned house, but she had other plans.

The sassy librarian, whoever the hell she was, had said to meet her at the campus center. "How will I know it's you?" she had written.

"Don't worry. I'll find you," had been the oh so helpful reply.

"Fucking great," Faye muttered to herself as she scanned the coffee shop. It was stuffed with students cribbing for finals, and nary a seat in sight.

_Big waste of time. Why did I even bother?_

Faye started to leave when she was accosted by a tall, blonde woman encased in black suede. "Come with me," she said quietly.

"Seriously?" Faye's breath hissed out in annoyance. "What's with the cloak and dagger?"

The sassy librarian smirked. "Isn't it fun?"

"_So_ much fun." As she tagged along in the wake of Mata Hari, she said, "You really ought to brush up on your interviewing skills."

They stopped at a lighted office and the librarian beckoned her inside. "You here to give me tips?"

Faye surveyed the messy office with disdain. "Perhaps you'd be better served by an interior designer."

The woman laughed before clearing a stack of folders from a folding chair. "Ah, but they can't read people, can they?"

"And you can?" Faye shot back.

This elicited another laugh. "So they say. And what's your story? Bored rich girl wants to show off to her friends and embarrass her mother?"

Faye was unimpressed. "Is that the _best_ you can do, Karin?" she said, reading the faceplate on the desk.

Karin tossed down her jacket and folded her arms. "I'm just getting started. Have a seat."

[Adam]

Adam showed the flier to his father. "Do you know anything about this?"

Ethan looked thoughtful. "It's an annual fundraiser. Didn't you go a few years ago with Diana?"

He felt that familiar sinking feeling whenever Diana came to mind. "Sure, but that's not what I meant."

Ethan searched his face. "Then what's this about?"

Adam shrugged, not wanting to admit he'd been caught in the middle..._again_. "It was Faye's idea."

His father sighed. "Of course it was."

"You know anyone like that?"

Ethan's laugh was anything but. "Charles Meade."

I raised my brows a little. "Seriously, Dad? He's a stiff."

Now Dad's chuckle was for real. "They used to call him The Terminator."

"You mean he flunked Dale Carnegie? I'm shocked." I held up my hands in fake dismay.

"Watch your back, Adam," Dad said, his eyes skating across my face and sharpening at the sight of a regular customer.

"And yours too, right?" I grabbed a menu and waited for Old Harry, the local drunk who visited us every Friday before the kids descended on us.

Dad threw me a half smile and moved behind the counter to draw a Sam Adams. "Of course, son."

It had always been that way, and I was convinced we were joined at the hip for eternity.

[Cassie]

Cassie's grandmother was staring blankly into space when she got home. She dropped her book bag and went straight over to Jane, whose hands were folded neatly in front of her. "Grandma, how was your day?"

Jane blinked in confusion. "Amelia, did you say something?"

She felt her throat tighten. "It's Cassie, Grandma."

"Such a pretty name. I knew you were special when you were born."

Her grandmother had been sitting in the same spot when Cassie left for school that morning. "Don't you have to get ready for work?"

For a moment, Jane's expression cleared, and she said, "I called in sick. Haven't been sleeping that well."

Cassie felt Jane's forehead, which was cool. "Maybe you should see a doctor."

Jane shook her head. "No doctors. Can't help what's trapped."

"Trapped?"

Her grandmother went blank again and retreated into whatever dead zone was holding her hostage.

Cassie touched her pocket and felt the tip of the flier sticking out. Without giving it much thought, she tapped in the email address and wrote a brief note.

_How can you tell if someone's been hexed? Maybe you can help._

The moment she sent it off, she started second guessing herself.

_Hexed_.

_How can that be, and how do I even know this?_

Cassie started to dial Adam and then clicked off her phone.

_No, I have to see this through on my own._


	3. Chapter 3

3.

[Karin]

Karin re-read the email from the blonde girl and sighed. This was a delicate matter, and she was not sure how to approach it.

She dialed a number and waited for Rob to pick up. "I need your advice."

Her brother snickered. "Of course you do. How long has it been, a year?"

Karin closed her eyes for a moment. "Someone's been hexed, and I need you to help reverse it."

"And why should I help you? What have you done for me lately?"

"Nothing, but perhaps besting Charles Meade will sway you."

An impenetrable silence ensued before he finally said, "Very well. One hour, at the usual place."

[Faye]

The interview had gone well and Faye was scheduled to work on both Saturday and Sunday at the librarian's tent. "What should I wear?"

Karin had given her a brief glance. "Your usual red and black."

She'd tossed it off like an offhand comment, but Faye quickly figured out that Karin was the real deal. "How do you do it?"

"What?"

"This." Faye tapped her temple impatiently.

"I don't know. It just _happens_."

"Happens..._how_ exactly?"

Karin sighed in exasperation. "Brief glimpses. Snatches of thought. Even dreams."

"No Ouija boards or Tarot cards?"

The answer was a derisive snort. "Those are props."

"So what? Everyone uses them."

Karin stood up abruptly. "Not me. And if you try bringing anything, then I'll fire you on the spot."

"Not even Rider-Waite?"

"Not even." When Faye stood staring, Karin added, "You know the way out."

And with that, she was summarily dismissed with a slammed door between her and an honest to goodness psychic.

_Imagine what I can do with this_, she thought with glee.

The door opened a crack and Karin said, "Absolutely nothing."

Faye stood staring at Karin's single black eye before the door closed again and she hurried off with raised goose bumps up and down her arms.

[Adam]

_oh __the __air __was __shining__  
><em>_shining __like __a __wedding __ring__  
><em>_barbed __like __sex__  
><em>_i __felt __10,000 __volts_

_Cascade, Lyrics by Siouxsie and the Banshees_

The Boathouse was stuffed to the gills with teenagers and families enjoying the cheap eats. Ethan wove his way through the aisles to speak to his many friends. All except for Charles Meade and Dawn Chamberlain, who gazed out furtively from the far corner.

To Adam's surprise, Cassie walked in and looked around for a seat, avoiding his eyes and starting to move away from him. "Cassie, over here," he called, pointing to the last stool at the counter.

Indecision crossed her face and was swiftly replaced with an uncertain smile. "Not sure this is a good idea." Cassie took her seat and accepted a glass of water from him.

"Are you OK?" he asked softly, not wanting his father to overhear.

Cassie looked at the menu and answered without looking at him. "I'll have a chocolate milkshake, and yeah, I'm good."

Adam scratched her order onto his pad and handed it off to his Dad, who greeted Cassie on his way to the other counter with brimming beer steins. "Really?" Adam searched the pale moon of her face with concern. "Could have fooled me."

Her brow furrowed. "Do we have to do this here?"

"Of course not. We can go anywhere."

She put down her menu and threw down a five. "I can't do this, Adam."

He could see the turmoil in her gaze and all he wanted to do was hold her. "I know. But we're still friends, and you know I'm here for you."

Cassie jumped off the stool and said, "Try being here for _her_."

Adam spied Diana just coming in with Faye and Melissa. They stopped short, sensing the tension shooting between Adam and Cassie but only Diana seemed to understand what was happening. With a covert look through her hair, she nodded toward the windows where a family was just leaving. Charles Meade gave him a stern glance and started moving toward his daughter, but then he stopped dead, watching the door with something approaching dread as a tall blonde man and woman came in.

The blonde man scanned the room and flashed a chilling smile at Charles before shouldering his way past and grabbing the last booth. The woman seemed mostly amused as she came to the counter and extended her hand. "Hello, Adam. It's nice to finally meet you."

He crinkled his forehead. "Excuse me?"

"I'm Karin, and you'll be seeing a lot of me."

With that strange greeting, the woman turned and joined the blonde man. Adam started to grab menus, but Ethan beat him to it, saying only, "I've got this one, son."

Adam watched his father and was stunned when Ethan leaned down and gave the woman a hug.

_You'll be seeing a lot of me. Count on it._

His eyes widened as Karin winked at him, her hands joined with Ethan's as he took the seat next to her.

_God, can this night get any worse?_

A clap of thunder shook the room and rain started coming down in torrents. The people on the deck ran inside and suddenly the room felt suffocating.

Adam had to get some air, and the moment he did, he felt someone following him. He whirled around and was face to face with Faye.

"What do you want?"

"See that blonde guy in there? He's big trouble."

The rain was soaking him to the skin and he wanted to escape to his Jeep. "How's that?"

"He wants our power."

At this moment, Adam didn't give a rat's ass. "He can have it."

There was nothing more to say, and with that, he jumped in his truck and escaped from the madness that was surely descending on him.


	4. Chapter 4

4

Cassie was wandering down the road when she sensed a truck creeping up on her, knowing who it was without looking. "I don't want a ride."

A door slammed and she heard his running footsteps. "I wasn't asking."

Adam's fingers were jammed in his pockets as he trudged alongside her. Her skin sizzled from his proximity and wanting desperately to shove it away, she said, "How much do I owe you?"

"For what?"

Her lips curved into a smile and she glanced at him over her shoulder. "Chocolate milkshake."

He laughed. "Nothing."

"Oh, c'mon, at least let me give you some money," she said, digging into her purse.

His hand stopped her and his fingers burned white heat to her very core. "Seriously, it's OK. In all the commotion, my Dad never got to it."

Cassie swallowed hard and looked down at his hand, which he finally dropped. "Commotion?"

Adam came around to face her. "You remember that flier Faye showed us?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"These people showed up right after you left, and the lady seemed..._sensitive_."

"As in psychic?"

Adam nodded. "It seemed almost like she could read my mind."

Cassie's throat got dry, because it was the exact same thing that had happened between her and Faye the night they had seen the little girl. "Are you sure?"

His husky voice dropped to a lower octave. "I'm not sure about anything anymore. It's certainly possible."

"That's kind of weird, don't you think?"

"Weird how?"

"Well, we were just talking about that fortune teller, and then she conveniently shows up."

Adam considered her words. "Maybe Faye contacted her."

Cassie had to tell him. "Or maybe _I_ did."

He came to a halt. "You're joking, right?"

She shook her head emphatically. "I asked for her help."

"Why?" Adam's voice took on that soft, shaky tone that told her he was upset.

"To heal my grandmother."

Adam surprised her by taking her hand. "I understand, but how can she help when doctors don't even know what's wrong?"

She tried to ignore the energy that leapt between them by focusing on Jane's blank face in her mind. "Because, she's been hexed."

His fingers tightened around hers. "Who would do that, and how...?"

"Do I know that?" she said, finishing his thought.

"Yes."

Cassie shook her head. "I don't know."

His other hand came to rest on her shoulder. "I hope you're wrong."

She became more certain she was right on the money. "I'm not."

Cassie pulled her hand free and left Adam standing under the one remaining streetlight on her road. By the time she got to her front steps, it too had burst into a shower of sparks.


	5. Chapter 5

5

Faye walked over to Karin and managed not to stare at the hottie sharing space with her. "Are you stalking me?"

Most adults would have taken offense, but Karin merely grinned. "Do you want me to?"

"That would be so much fun, but seriously, why are you here?"

Karin's grin widened. "To steal your power."

Faye frowned. "That's _so_ not funny."

"But it's what you're thinking..." Karin let her voice trail off as she took a long sip of wine.

"Is it?" Faye cocked her head. "Am I supposed to believe you read minds too?"

Karin's companion suddenly said, "She does, actually."

"And you are?" Faye folded her arms and eyed him suspiciously.

"Rob." He sat back in his chair, his icy blue gaze skating across her face imperiously.

"So Rob with no last name, care to enlighten me?"

His lips almost quivered into a smile. "I don't."

Karin smacked his arm. "Don't be such a curmudgeon, Robbie."

Faye looked between them and suddenly noticed the resemblance. "You two related or something?"

"Or something," Rob said, ducking slightly when Karin swatted at him.

"Don't mind my little brother, Faye. He's always been a grinch."

She sat down uninvited. "Do tell."

"There's more than enough time for that. We're actually here to help your friend."

"Really? Who?" And how come she didn't know about this?

Karin smiled faintly. "The head of your circle."

Faye was nonplussed. "That can't be. She would never..."

"I don't mean Diana."

If not Diana, then that meant only one person. "Cassie?"

"That's right."

Faye huffed out her breath in frustration. "Wrong, she's the new girl, and she's certainly not in charge of anything."

"Not yet, but soon," Karen said quietly.

She stood up abruptly. "That won't happen. _I _won't let it happen."

"You're no match for her," Rob said, his comment rankling her to the bone.

"You wanna bet?"

Karin sighed. "She's a Blackwell, Faye."

"Who cares? That's just some old name that nobody cares about anymore."

"Except us."

"Us?"

Karin handed her a card and Faye felt faint when she read the lettering. "Professor Karin Balcoin? Oh my God, are you saying..."

"Exactly so," Rob said. "Descended from one of Balcoin's other brothers."

She gulped a few times. "So these powers run in the family?"

Karin nodded. "More or less. Only Rob broke the tradition. He's a grey mage."

_What did that even mean?_

"He practices both light and dark magic."

That sounded wrong on so many levels. "You can't have it both ways."

"Can't you?" Rob flashed her a quirky smile which thawed her only slightly.

"But how can it be? Anything you send out comes back threefold."

"Ah, yes, the Rule of Three. Strike lightly and hope for the best," Karin said, touching Faye's hand lightly and zapping her with a blast of energy.

Faye snatched her hand back. "I thought you were a fortune teller."

"Among other things," Rob said quietly. "Librarian, writer, artist, cat lover, and sister."

"And don't forget witch." Faye smiled broadly at the dismay on Karen's face.

"I don't practice."

"Could have fooled me." Her skin still tingled from the jolt Karin had given her.

"That was nothing." Rob extended his hand. "Try me on for size."

Now there was a loaded statement. With extreme reluctance, Faye took his hand and felt her insides light up. Her eyes widened as she felt his presence in her mind, laughing in that slightly mocking tone that his sister had turned into an art form. "God, what are you doing?" It felt like the top of her head was ripped open and her entire life was hanging before her, and then it all zipped past as she saw flashes of Rob performing dark, scary rituals with midnight shapes swirling about him. That last part scared her so much she jerked her hand back and jumped to her feet. "I get the picture." With a swift movement of her head, she motioned for Melissa to follow her out of there. When they got to the car, Faye was still shaking.

"What the hell happened in there?"

She clenched her hands on the steering wheel. "I have no fucking clue. Let's get out of here."


	6. Chapter 6

6

Note: No offense to anyone here, but I started writing this because there are so few interesting stories for this fandom. And then I read ahead about future shows and realized my story idea will parallel the show in some ways. I hadn't intended to play the Blackwell card, but then I figured, what the hell? Might as well throw some of that into the mix. I think it's more about not letting power corrupt you and being true to yourself.

Adam returned home to find Diana waiting for him outside. "We need to talk."

He'd been waiting to hear those words. "God, I'm so glad..."

Diana interrupted. "Not about us."

He shrugged. "OK, about what then?"

She nodded over her shoulder toward the blonde strangers. "_Them_."

Adam could hear the fear in her voice. "What's bothering you?"

She was wringing her hands as she walked away from the front door. "They're related to Cassie."

He had a really bad feeling about this. "Through Jane?"

"Not exactly." Dancing around the subject wasn't helping.

Adam wasn't sure if he wanted to hug her or shake her. "Through Blackwell?"

"Yes. They're from another branch of the Balcoin family tree."

Of course they were. "How convenient."

"Faye talked to them for awhile, and then took off."

That wasn't like Faye. "She never backs down from a fight."

"See, that's the weird thing. I don't think they mean us any harm."

He smiled. "Is this one of your gut feelings?"

Diana looked back toward the restaurant. "Not just mine."

Adam peered through the front window and was slightly stunned to see the blonde woman cozying up to his Dad. "Oh, God, it's the alcohol talking."

"He hasn't touched a drop since she got here," Diana said, touching his arm in reassurance.

Adam found that hard to believe. "Then it's a love spell."

"Maybe, but it's not hers."

"But she's a Balcoin."

"With a cross around her neck?"

Adam shrugged. "I don't know, Diana. None of this makes any sense."

She sighed. "I better go before my Dad reams me."

He nodded. "Maybe I'll see you tomorrow." Diana always came to the Boathouse for coffee on Saturdays.

"Maybe. Goodnight, Adam." With a half-hearted wave, she backed away and got into her car.

Adam watched her drive away and knew they were no closer to resolving their differences. Maybe they never would.


	7. Chapter 7

7

[Cassie]

Her dreams were full of shattered glass and showers of light. Every path she followed led to more destruction, and darkness dogged her heels. She woke up drenched in sweat, and threw open her window. A cool breeze lifted the curtains gently, and as they rose and fell, Cassie found herself mesmerized. She didn't know how long she sat there, but when she came back to herself, sunlight was pouring through the crack in her shade. Her phone was blinking, and she counted two text messages and one call from Adam. She read the messages and her brows lifted slightly.

"Rob and Karin want to meet your grandmother. Can they come at 9?"

_Who the hell were Rob and Karin?_

His voicemail answered that question. Karin was the flier lady and Rob was her brother, and they were answering her call for help. And there were things she needed to know about them, but that could wait until they arrived.

Cassie looked at the clock and it said 8:30. "No freaking way," she muttered, shoving her phone aside and grabbing some wrinkled but clean clothes from the basket near her bed. In her haste to get moving, she tripped and barked her shin on the bed frame. Cursing inwardly, Cassie ran to the bathroom and started up the shower, which took several minutes before it even approached tepid. When she could finally stand the temperature, she jumped in and practically darted between the miserly drops from the water-saving showerhead. Her hair was still full of soap when she heard her phone ring from the nearby counter. There was no way she could get to it in time, so she finished up and wrapped herself in a towel. It was Adam - _again_ - and he wondered if they should reschedule.

She texted him back.

_I'll be ready. Just woke up. _

Knowing he would ask how she was doing, she added:

And _I'm fine. Will you stop worrying already?_

His response was an emoticon with its tongue out. With a smile, she got dressed in record time and ran a comb through her damp hair. She ran down the stairs and saw her grandmother sitting at the kitchen table sipping coffee and staring at the newspaper. It was what she did every morning, and she never read a thing. Cassie only knew this because she asked about some of the headlines and Jane always seemed confused. This morning, Cassie smiled at her as she poured coffee. "Grandma, some people are coming to visit us this morning."

Her grandmother looked up, and Cassie didn't miss the tiny spark of interest that flared in her eyes before fading back to dullness. "Oh, are they friends of Amelia's?"

Cassie frowned. "No, I don't think so. But they might be able to help you."

Jane waved her hand. "I'm absolutely fine, Cassie. My doctor ran all the right tests, and they didn't find anything."

"Maybe they didn't run the right ones."

Her grandmother made a scoffing sound and folded the newspaper. "Of course they did. Dr. King is one of the best doctors in this region."

"I'm sure he is, but maybe you need a different kind of help."

Jane's face crinkled pleasantly. "What do you mean?"

Cassie was saved by the front doorbell, and she whispered a silent blessing at Adam's promptness. Her boot heels clicked loudly on her way to the door, and she stopped short at the sight of Adam and two blonde giants. The woman was at least six feet tall, and the man towered over her by a good six inches. "Hello, Cassie, I'm Karin Balcoin and this is my brother Rob."

She couldn't have heard that right. Cassie looked over at Adam in confusion and his nod confirmed everything. "You're related to John Blackwell?"

"Indirectly." Karin looked around Cassie's shoulder to where Jane was standing. "May we come in?"

Remembering her manners, Cassie stepped aside. "Of course."

Jane's face was wreathed with a lovely smile, but her cornflower blue eyes were empty. "Have we met?"

Karin stepped forward. "I'm Karin, and this is my brother Rob."

Jane shook both their hands and offered them coffee, which they gladly accepted. Once they were all ensconced around the kitchen table, Cassie said to Rob, "So you think you can help?"

Rob's blue eyes took her measure before sweeping his gaze around the room. "Maybe."

They sipped their coffee and exchanged empty pleasantries about the weather and the Mariners lousy record. Finally, Rob extended his arm to Jane and said, "I've heard you're quite the gardener. Maybe you can show me around."

Cassie watched them retreat and sighed. "So tell me, Karin, are you getting any vibes?"

Karin looked out the window before turning back to Cassie. "She's not present."

Adam looked at Cassie and raised his brows slightly. "Meaning what?"

"Her soul is already withdrawing. While we were talking, your grandmother's essence was draining out of her."

Cassie's mouth opened slightly. "So she's like...walking dead?"

"Exactly."

Adam's lips pursed. "So Jane is basically a shell?"

Karin nodded. "She doesn't have much time. If Rob can figure out what was done to her, we may have a fighting chance."

Cassie considered that for a moment. "Who could have done this?"

Karin's pupils darkened. "I have an idea, but you won't like it."

Adam's fists bunched up. "Tell us anyway. What have we got to lose?"

"Everything you've ever loved," Karin said, her voice lowering to a whisper as the door opened.

Cassie looked over at Adam and they both shrugged. The determined glint in his eyes told her he would get to the bottom of it, no matter the cost.


	8. Chapter 8

8

Adam paced for awhile as he watched Rob and Jane take several turns around the garden. He wanted to get in the guy's face and demand answers, like what he planned on doing to help Jane. "I'm not convinced."

Karin smiled. "Good. Your skepticism may save your life one day."

_What the hell?_

Cassie made a face. "If you know something, you'd better tell us."

"You know what they say..." Karin started.

Adam rolled his eyes. "Be careful what you wish for. Yeah, I get it."

Cassie tapped her foot impatiently. "So, are you going to tell us or not?"

Karin's smirk fell away as she dug in her purse and produced a notebook. "It's all in here."

She handed it to them and Cassie flipped it open. After going through a few pages, she said, "It's just a bunch of scribbled letters."

Karin tossed back her thick, golden curls. "Is it? Look again."

Adam leaned in and saw it right away. He blinked a few times, hoping what he saw was an illusion. "That can't be right."

Cassie threw him a puzzled glance. "I don't get it."

Without thinking, he took her hand and traced the letters. "Now do you see it?"

Ignoring the zap of energy that coursed through him, he withdrew and watched her face patiently. Her mouth opened and closed and she swallowed hard. "Yes."

He felt the dark rush of anger that always arrived when his emotions ran high. His voice cracked as he said, "Who put you up to this?"

"Nobody." Karin took the notebook from them and flipped a few pages. She held up an expertly drawn sketch and asked, "These two are in it up to their necks."

Cassie's eyes went wide and he could feel power building between them. "Don't." He tried to rein it in but it was too late.

Karin's head jerked up and her eyes narrowed. With a flick of her fingers, she sent it back at them, singing their eyebrows and the ends of their hair. "Seriously? You have no idea who you're dealing with."

Adam had always respected his elders, but Karin was pushing her luck. "You lied to us. You're as much of a witch as the rest of us."

The door suddenly opened and Rob said, "She has more power than you'll ever have. The difference is, she only uses it to defend herself."

Cassie looked over at Adam with a 'who is he kidding' face. "And that makes it better?"

Karin twisted her cross between her fingers. "Deep down, you know I'm telling the truth."

"And what are we supposed to do with this information?" Adam looked back at the sketch and knew nothing good would come from this.

"Keep it close to you."

Cassie got right in Karen's personal space. "Anything else we should know?"

"All in good time."

With that deliberate nod to The Wizard of Oz, Karin stepped back and waited for Rob to settle Jane down in the living room. He turned up the TV and came back to where they were standing. Rob looked at Cassie and said, "You were right. She's been hexed."

Adam looked at Rob's deadly serious face. "Why?"

Rob shrugged. "Ask my sister."

They all looked at Karin. "They are running scared."

Cassie said, "That's insane. How can anyone be scared of my grandmother? She wouldn't hurt a soul."

"It's _what_ she knows that scares them." Karin yawned and stretched her arms over her head.

"And what is that, exactly?" Adam's quiet voice seemed to wake Karin up.

"The truth about what happened 16 years ago."

"Is that it? That's not a reason to attack someone." Cassie's blue eyes filled with unshed tears. "I've been here for months, and she never said a word."

"And she wouldn't, Cassie. She's an elder, and they're the real power in this town," Adam explained gently.

Cassie looked over at Karin and something seemed to pass between them. "Their power was stripped from them, and now they want it back."

"Is that right?" It sounded plausible, and he knew it was true even before Karin nodded.

"It is." Rob's interruption brought their focus back to Jane. "And we're here to help, but first you need to bring me Diana's Book of Shadows."

Karin nodded once. "And quickly, before her father gets to it."

Adam said, "Why would _he_ want it?"

Cassie moved between them with a knowing gaze. "To reverse the spell."

Karin added, "Only, he's bound to fuck it up. So you need to move fast."

Adam decided it was better not to tell the others. "C'mon, Cassie. I'll drive us over."

Rob moved to stop his forward movement. "And what if you run into them? Think you can take them on?"

He wasn't sure of anything. "Good point. Why don't you follow us there?"

Karin put her arm through Rob's. "No need. I know the way."


	9. Chapter 9

9

Cassie's head was spinning and she swore she would fly into orbit if she didn't calm down. She drummed her fingers impatiently on her knee as Adam followed Karin's dusty Subaru.

His worry furrowed his brow. "You scared me in there."

The way she'd connected with Karin had freaked her out too. "I know."

"Could you really read her thoughts?"

"More like I saw them." Dozens of images rushing at her, exploding into sudden clarity where before there'd been only confusion.

Adam's breath caught slightly. "Like a movie in your head?"

"Something like that."

"Is that how it was with Faye?" The whole circle knew what had happened at the lake house, not only that she saw Faye as a child, but the uncanny way she'd found Henry's body.

"It was more intense. Her brother wasn't kidding; she has great power. Her whole body practically sings with it."

They approached the turnoff for their hangout. "So does yours," Adam said, his blue-grey eyes flicking across her face before stopping his truck.

Cassie stole a look at him and was riveted by the way he watched her. With a studied casualness that belied her rapidly beating heart, she said, "How does that work?"

Adam bit his lower lip. "You have an aura."

"Everyone does...right?" Cassie had never noticed colors floating around people, so she figured this was one of Adam's gifts.

"Of course. Your energy is orange."

"The color of fire," she said idly, wondering why this happened to be her particular gift.

"Yes, but it's about power."

She nodded and then something came to her. "Yours is turquoise."

Adam's eyes widened. "How did you..."

Cassie dared to meet his gaze. "I can feel it all around me."

His lovely lashes fluttered over his eyes and she gulped at the fleeting smile he flashed at her. "Omigod, no one's ever picked that up."

She sighed. "Not even Diana?"

"Not even," he said softly, his voice pitched so low it raised the fine hairs on her neck.

Cassie sensed the strings of fate pulling them closer together. "We should get moving."

His answering sigh spoke volumes, and he wordlessly followed her up the path to where Karin and Rob waited.


	10. Chapter 10

10

Adam was the only one besides Diana who knew where her grimoire was stashed. And he wasn't keen on letting anyone outside the circle see it, not to mention people linked to John Blackwell.

"I don't like this," he said so only Cassie could hear.

She eyed him through a hank of hair. "You think I do? What other choice do we have?"

He hunched his shoulders and caught up with her. "I don't know...maybe we should call Diana."

Cassie sighed. "You know what she'll say, and we'll get nowhere."

"Do you honestly trust them?"

Cassie looked between him and the two adults waiting on the broken porch steps. "I'm not sure I trust anyone right now."

His pulse hammered in his ears. "You don't mean that."

"Don't I?" Her fear-filled eyes were all he remembered as they caught up to the Balcoins.

Karin approached Adam while her brother and Cassie reviewed Diana's Book of Shadows. "I'm sorry it's come to this."

"Sure you are." Adam folded his arms and leaned against the work table, watching Rob with growing uneasiness. Every so often, he scribbled notes or took photos with his iPhone.

"I never intended to get in the middle."

"But you have, and now it's too late."

"Cassie asked for my help," Karin said.

"You could have refused." His tone was sharper than he intended, but now it was out there.

Karin shook her head. "We're bound by blood, and I can't turn my back on that"

He closed his eyes and his voice shook when he said, "It's _bad_ blood."

She surprised him by extending her hand. "Maybe not. Try me on for size."

His clenched fingers refused to unfurl. "Not gonna happen."

Karin retracted her arm. "But you'd touch her if she let you."

That _wasn't_ the same...not at all. "We're here to help Jane. Can we please focus on that?"

She gave him a long, searching look. "OK, we'll play it your way...for _now_."

Cassie could barely follow what Rob was doing, his eyes scanning Diana's book at light speed. He finally straightened and said, "I know what happened."

Adam and Karin came up to the table and sat across from them. "Tell us," Adam demanded.

Rob slid his notebook across to Adam. "Can you read Latin?"

Adam's only answer was a shrug. "It looks like an inversion spell."

"Which is intended to destroy its target, not cause it to forget."

Cassie felt her anger rising at Rob's callous disregard of Jane. "_It_ has a name, and she's dying. Can you help or not?"

Karin nodded. "We're the only ones who can."

She wasn't encouraged by Adam shaking his head. "Tell us what to do, and the circle will take care of it."

Rob snickered, which only pissed her off more. "You _can't_."

"And why not? Anyone can follow instructions," Adam said defensively.

"Because," Karin said, "That idiot Charles Meade mistakenly opened a portal to the other side."

"So what?" Cassie stood up and put both hands on the table. "I don't care _how_ it happened, I just want you to help my grandmother."

Rob's smirk faded. "And we will, but it will take seriously dark magic to rid the world of John Blackwell."

Cassie couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What? My father is dead, he can't possibly be..."

Karin touched Cassie's arm. "He's here right now. Biding his time."

And that's when Cassie noticed a black shadow flicker in the far corner of the loft. It was just enough to catch her attention, and when it started forming itself into the rough outline of a man, she said, "I'm out of here."

Before she could escape, boot heels clattered on the stairs and a dark head appeared. Diana came into view and stared at the four of them in confusion. "What's going on here?"

Cassie gulped as Adam moved in front of the table to block Diana's view of the book. "We're doing research on the Balcoin family."

Diana was no fool. She quickly pushed past Adam and stopped short at the sight of her open grimoire. "With _my_ Book of Shadows?"

Adam attempted to placate her. "Diana, I can explain..."

Diana snatched up her book and shoved it in her satchel. "You people need to leave. You don't belong here, and they had no right bringing you here."

Karin and Rob retreated without a word, and then Diana turned on Cassie and Adam. "Explain, and it better be good."


	11. Chapter 11

11

The truth would kill Diana, and most likely destroy the circle.

But what choice did he have?

Before Adam could form a thought, Cassie jumped in. "We found the spell which hurt my grandmother."

Diana folded her arms, her dark eyes flashing with suspicion. "You expect me to believe someone in the circle would hex her?"

"Of course not," Adam said, sensing Diana's disbelief and rising hostility. "But the trail led here."

Diana's eyebrows lifted. "You expect me to believe someone used a locater spell and it pointed to _my_ book?"

"Exactly," Cassie said, ignoring Adam's warning glance. "Karin showed us the way."

"Of course she did," Diana said quietly, kicking at the floor in frustration. "First it was Jake's word, now it's Karin and her creepy brother?"

Cassie blanched at the mention of Jake, and Adam fought hard to stop from touching her. "It's not like that, Diana," Adam said carefully.

She directed her glare to Adam. "Then tell me what it's like, Adam."

"We're trying to help Jane. That's what we do, right?" His gentle tone was the one that always calmed her down, but the tense set of her jaw spoke volumes.

"Cut the crap, Adam. Tell me what's really going on."

Adam sighed. "I'm not sure I believe it myself, but..."

"_Don't_," Cassie said forcefully...only her lips weren't moving_. Let me handle this_.

He looked at her in wonderment, but all she offered was a tiny shrug. "We're not sure how it happened, Diana, but the inversion spell is in there."

Diana looked between them in confusion. "What's that mean?"

Cassie stepped forward. "Someone tried to make my grandmother forget..."

"But it backfired," Adam said.

Diana looked slightly mollified. "How so?"

Cassie's ragged sigh tore at Adam's heart. "It's destroying her mind. We may be too late to help her."

Diana's anger was long gone as she gathered Cassie into a hug. "I'm sorry. Why didn't you tell me?"

Adam dared not look at Cassie when he said, "Because I knew how you'd react."

She cocked her head like she wasn't buying it. "Is that all?"

It was like Diana could see straight through him. "Yeah," he said, not meeting her eyes.

Diana looked at Cassie, obviously giving up on Adam as a lost cause. "Tell me how I can help. Maybe I can help you find out who did this."

Cassie hitched her fingers in her jean pockets. "That would be great, but we have a bigger problem."

Now it was Diana's turn to sigh. "Bigger than someone trying to kill your grandmother?"

Adam could almost feel dark forces gathering all around them. When Cassie didn't answer immediately, he answered for her. "Yeah. Can't you feel him?"

Diana looked at him like he was crazy. "_Him_?"

Cassie pointed to the shadows in the far corner of the loft. "John Blackwell is _alive_...more or less."


	12. Chapter 12

12

Cassie hated lying to Diana. Even if it was justified, it still made her feel like crap. And judging from Adam's expression, he felt the same.

"I don't like this," she said, her voice low as they followed Diana back to the clearing where they parked their cars.

"I know. But consider the alternative."

Her heavy sigh was caught up by the cool north wind. "Are we supposed to pretend it didn't happen?"

"Of course not." Adam guided her over a log and caught her elbow on the other side.

She stopped and watch Diana drive away. "This is only the beginning."

"How so?" Adam opened the door for her and she smiled faintly in thanks.

"Karin knows a _lot_ more than she's telling us."

"Let me guess. A cosmic connection?" His usual dry humor was back in play and she smiled.

"Something like that." Cassie watched Adam in the rearview mirror as he came around to the driver's side. When he put the car in reverse, she asked, "Do you have to work today?"

"Later on. Why?"

"Maybe we can check out that Ren Faire over at the college." Cassie's tone was neutral, but her heart was doing handsprings at the thought of spending time with Adam.

Adam chuckled. "And run into Faye? No thanks."

She smiled tightly. "I was hoping to grill Karen on my father."

They stopped at an intersection and she felt him looking at her. "I know you want answers, but maybe you should give this a rest."

That was the last thing Cassie wanted. "I can't. It's all I think about."

Adam's husky response put her senses on high alert. "Sure I'm not mixed in there somewhere?"

Her face was suffused with heat. "Could be."

"And what about Jake?"

His casual tone wasn't fooling her. "I don't know, Adam." That was the only answer she could give right now.

They rode in comfortable silence until she realized he'd turned off toward the college. "You still want to do this?"

"Yes." The main street was jammed with festival goers and people in costume, and reminded Cassie of a grand masquerade. "Hey, there's parking over there."

"I see it." Adam beat out a Jetta and a Jeep to the spot, and smirked at the sound of curses rending the air.

Cassie felt the tingle of magic and realized Adam had stopped the other cars from moving forward. "That's cheating."

His smile widened as he hopped out. "I know, isn't it great?"

The crisp fall air lifted her spirits slightly as she walked next to him. "Yes, it is." She looked up at Adam and was stunned by what she saw in his beautiful eyes. Adoration shone down on her for a fleeting second, replaced quickly by sardonic amusement when they spotted Faye hawking her wares in front of the fortune teller's tent.


	13. Chapter 13

13

Faye's vampy red and black ensemble was drawing men in like flies. As fast as she handed them off to Karin and her two minions, another bunch buzzed around her like hornets. Melissa stopped by with coffee and gossip about some big standoff at the abandoned house, which was cut short when Adam and Cassie showed up.

They were standing awfully close, and Faye was sure Diana would have a fit if she could see them. She said she was moving on, but Faye knew talk was cheap. "So how can I help you today? Sex magic, or maybe a love potion?" Faye said with a suggestive wink in Adam's direction.

He rolled his eyes. "Cassie needs to chat with Karin."

Karin's line wasn't getting any shorter. "Sorry, she's booked solid."

"I'm sure she can make an exception." Faye could feel Cassie magically pushing her agenda, and she pushed back with all her might.

"Sorry. Being a Balcoin doesn't get you a free pass," Faye said, her words hissing out like grey smoke.

Cassie's eyes narrowed slightly. "I don't need one with _family_."

Faye wasn't expecting the dark magic gauntlet to be tossed down so casually. "Don't care. Go bother someone else."

And with that, she turned her back on her nemesis and resumed her suggestive catch phrases, drawing in the sheep and their deep pockets with an ever widening grin.

Karin knew Cassie was outside, desperate for more news about the Balcoin clan and this reversal spell that only Rob had the chops to carry off.

When it was time for lunch, she was waylaid by Adam at the hotdog stand. "Hey," he said quietly. "We need to talk."

She bit into her corn dog. "Not here."

"Then where?"

"The Boathouse. Tonight around 9." Karin was meeting Ethan for dinner, and she had no problem if Adam joined them.

Adam raised his brows slightly. "You're meeting my Dad?"

The boy's intuition was impressive, though Karin figured it had more to do with his innate magical talent. "Yes, is that a problem?"

"That depends."

"On?"

"Your intentions."

Karin chuckled. "I like your Dad...a _lot_."

Adam looked skeptical. "I've heard that in the past, just before someone burned him."

"I know it's been difficult for him, but I assure you, my intentions are purely salacious."

He was taken aback, clearly not expecting her frank response. "OK, then. 9 it is. Will Rob be there?"

"Nope. He's gone off to exorcise demons."

Adam nodded like he totally got it. "Hope he's back soon."

She picked up on his worry for Cassie's grandmother. "He will be. We'll discuss the details tonight."

Adam nodded over his shoulder at Cassie, who was chatting up Melissa and her cousin. "Cassie should be there too."

"Of course. See you then." And with that dismissal, Karin worked her way back to her tent, hoping to press Faye into actual service.

Faye was thrilled when Karin made room for her in the tent, which helped draw down the crowds. Most of the men who sat down wanted her body, and they were so transparent they'd give Casper a run for his money. She gladly took their money and told them what they wanted to hear, that their ships would come in any day now. And that hot babe in English class totally wanted them. They were so pathetic that she soon grew bored, wishing Cassie would come back so she could throw her mojo around.

She eyed her cell phone and was happy to see it was almost quitting time. Karin said she could keep all her tips, and there was quite a pile of money in her cashbox. "Are we done here?" she said with a yawn.

"Sure, you can take off," Minion #1 said. "Unless you want your fortune read."

_That_ caught her up short. "Yeah? Let's do it." Karin was off depositing their funds in the bank, and nobody was lined up.

"By the way, my name is Rissa, not Minion." The redhead smirked as Faye took a seat at her table.

"Umm, sorry about that," Faye said with a grin.

Rissa took out a pad. "Besides your unquenchable thirst for power, what else do you want to know?"

This girl was for real, and her matter of fact way of cutting to the chase perfectly suited Faye. "You know what I am, right?"

It was a given, but she had to be sure. "Of course. Just as I know about Karin's family connection to Cassie Blake."

Faye knew they were distantly related, but this sounded like something more. "What are you talking about?"

Rissa eyed her in disbelief. "Like you didn't know they were cousins."

_Cousins_. What the _fuck_ was this?

"Oh, that. Yeah, we all know about that." Faye pretended like it was cool, but inside she was seething.

"Sure you did. So ask me about the lake house."

Faye's boot stopped in mid-tap. "What about it?"

Rissa wasn't laughing now. "Henry died there."

"Big deal. It was all over the news."

"Was it? " Rissa started humming as she sketched. Faye watched her deft hand as two faces formed on the pad. When she held it up, Faye almost fell out of her chair. It was a perfectly rendered sketch of her mother and Charles Meade. "They left out the part about murder. And these two are responsible."

Faye was beside herself, and all she could say was, "It can't be."

With that, Rissa ripped off the sheet and handed it to Faye. "If you say so."


	14. Chapter 14

14

Karin's cell phone rang at the moment she entered the Boathouse.

It was Rissa. "Yes?"

"I did what you asked."

"How'd she take the news?"

Rissa made a rude sound. "Badly."

"That's to be expected."

"You think?" Rissa was pissed. "I know I owe you, but get someone else next time."

"Faye needed a wakeup call."

"She's not the only one," Rissa said bluntly.

Her complaint was justified. "OK, maybe you're right, but I can't do this alone."

_This_ was their psychic ability, and Rissa was her business partner. "No kidding. By the way, I also spilled the beans about your close link to Cassie."

Rissa's casual tone belied the bomb she had just dropped on Karin. "Why?"

"Because it was time." There was a nasty edge to her friend's voice that Karin didn't like, and it was so unlike Rissa that warning bells clanged in her mind.

Rissa ended the call abruptly, leaving Karin stunned and speechless. Adam and Ethan came to greet her, and when she finally formed a thought, she said, "Blackwell is on the move."

"How?" Adam asked.

"Possession. And it's only the beginning."

Cassie listening in growing dismay as Karin explained about her friend.

"Can we help her?" Cassie asked.

Karin shrugged. "Maybe, but we need to act quickly."

"When is your brother coming back?" Adam asked.

"Three days. And we only have that amount of time to gather the required materials."

"We have plenty of herbs," Cassie said.

"That's the easy part. We also need their blood."

Cassie rolled her eyes. "And I'm sure they'll be willing donors."

Ethan chose that moment to speak. "We can always compel them."

Karin cocked her head slightly. "Yeah, that worked really well the last time we tried it."

Cassie watched Karin and Ethan exchange amused glances and realized they had a history. "Let's decide on _something_, please."

Karin flashed an apologetic look and handed over a list to Adam and Cassie. "Can you get these?"

Everything was commonly known and easy to get, except the blood. "Yes, but we need help with the blood."

"I'll handle that part," Karin promised. "You get the rest."

At that exact moment, the door swung open and banged back on its hinges. Faye was standing there, looking primed for battle and ready to take names. "Damn," Cassie said, just before Faye came charging into their midst.


	15. Chapter 15

15

Note: The show has really turned a corner, and negates most of what I've written. So I am branding this as AU from here on in.

[Faye]

Faye marched up to Karin and got right in her face. "How could you?" she said with thinly veiled fury. "You Balcoins just waltz into town and make up lies, and everyone believes you."

Karin's dark eyes held not a hint of guile. "You know it's true, Faye."

Adam's husky voice cut in. "_What's_ true?"

Faye rounded on him. "What, she hasn't spilled her guts? I wonder why."

"Tell me," Adam pleaded, looking deep into Faye's eyes with an emphatic nod.

"My grandfather...was murdered."

"But I thought..."

Faye speared a finger at Karin. "Yeah, well, this bitch thinks my Mom and Charles killed him."

Karin said, "Actually, Dawn gets all the credit."

"_Liar_." Something inside Faye snapped and she launched herself at Karin, only to find herself pushed aside by an unseen force. With a hiss, she clawed the air but was held fast by a powerful hold. "Let me go," she shouted.

"Only if you settle down," Karin said with folded arms and a stony expression.

"_You_ did this?" Faye was stunned, for the sassy librarian obviously was holding out on them. "You don't practice, so how is this even possible?"

Karin loosened her mental grip and fixed Faye with an arrogant stare. "I'm a Balcoin. We _all_ have power."

Faye finally felt Karin release her completely, and she sagged against one of the tables. "So I've seen," she said with a raised eyebrow.

"I know you don't believe me, but Dawn and Charles are practicing again," Karin said. "I've not only seen it, I've felt it when they used the crystal."

"Crystal?" Faye already thought the woman was hopping mad, but this was beyond crazy. "No way. I would _know_ if my Mom had one."

"Just like you feel the power of my crystal?" Karin reached into her satchel and fetched a Crown Royal bag. She opened its strings and dumped out a multi-faceted topaz into her palm. It started glowing as she stared down at it, and flared like a supernova as light shot all around them, whirling faster and faster as she spoke. "It focuses power like a lens. We all have them."

Adam asked, "Maybe that used to be true, but you and Jane are the only people I've seen with crystals."

The light dropped to a dull throbbing blue ember in Karin's palm. "That's because the elders in Chance Harbor destroyed the crystals they could find, and stripped your parents of their powers."

Faye and Adam looked at Ethan and he nodded. "It's true."

Cassie looked down and seemed like she could care less. Then she said, "But some obviously survived."

Karin put her crystal away. "I know of at least two, and possibly three."

"And how do you know this?" Faye asked , still smarting from her comeuppance.

"Because the elders have them. Last I knew, Jane, Henry, and Kate Meade had them."

Faye watched Adam's eyes swivel over to Cassie, who was acting a bit too cool for Faye's liking.

"Your grandmother used that crystal on Nick. Did she say anything more about how it works?" Adam asked.

Cassie shrugged, remembering her Gran's words about having to protect her circle. "Nope. She hid it away and hasn't brought it up since."

Faye could easily sniff out a lie. "If you say so," she said with a challenge in her voice. "So, Cassie, why didn't you tell us you and Karin were cousins?"

Cassie straightened with glacial blue eyes. "Where would you get such a crazy idea, Faye?"

"From Rissa. She actually had a lot to say on the subject. Like did you know John Blackwell had three brothers?"

Cassie frowned. "It's not on the family tree."

"So what? You're really going to believe some rotting old piece of paper over a bonafide psychic?" Faye smirked as Cassie looked over at Karin for confirmation. "Go ahead, Karin, spill."

"My father is Simon Balcoin, and yes, he's John's brother," Karin said in a quiet tone.

Cassie's eyes were bright with tears. "Oh my God, we're first cousins? How many more of you are there?"

"Myself, Rob, and Rissa. She's Will's daughter."

"So I have uncles and aunts?" Cassie was warming slightly to the subject.

Karin shook her head. "They're all dead. John slaughtered them."

Faye shuddered inwardly. "Is that all?"

"I'm afraid not." Karin opened her hands in supplication and looked at Cassie. "Your mother's death was no accident."

Cassie's mouth opened slightly. "No, that can't be. They ruled out arson."

"It wasn't arson, it was...Charles Meade murdered her."

"Oh my God." Cassie started to sway and would have fallen if Adam hadn't caught her.

Suddenly the door to the Boathouse slammed shut and they saw a figure fleeing into the night. Faye saw a white SUV peel out of the parking lot, and realized Diana had heard every word. "This night just gets better and better," Faye said to no one in particular. When she saw the grownups and Adam fussing over Cassie, she knew her job was done and it was time to move on and ruin someone else's night. Perhaps a visit to Diana was in order, for it seemed that both their parents were stone cold killers and it was possibly the only thing they had in common.


	16. Chapter 16

16

Cassie's world was going straight to hell. She saw and heard words of reassurance and comfort, and cared for none of it. Right now, she wanted to be as far away from this Balcoin business as possible. The news that her mother was murdered was so life altering that she couldn't talk. Her tongue was literally frozen to the roof of her mouth, and when Adam finally got the idea to take her home, she nodded mutely.

Karin and Ethan watched from the windows as they departed, and the last thing she saw was the pale oval of Ethan's face, hands pressed to the glass. As they rode out of sight of the Boathouse, Cassie felt a rush of cold truth go straight through her. "Your Dad is not what he seems," she said with absolute certainty.

"What?" was Adam's contribution as he drove straight through a four way stop and nearly collided with a slow moving truck.

"He's hiding something."

Adam sighed. "Of course he is."

She could do without the sarcasm. "He always seems so complacent."

"That's his nature, Cassie."

"Is it? I don't believe that."

He pulled up to the curb in front of her house. "I've lived with the guy for 16 years and he's always been mild-mannered."

"That's what they said about Clark Kent, and look who he turned out to be."

His response was a muffled snicker. "I swear, he's not a wolf in sheep's clothing."

"What happened to his crystal and Book of Shadows, Adam?"

Adam shrugged. "I don't know, Cassie. Maybe the elders have them."

"But Karin said there are only two or three known crystals. Where are the others?" She ran her fingers through her hair and looked at the empty windows of her house, ones that matched her grandmother's declining mental state.

"I have no idea."

"Maybe we can look for them."

He shook his head. "I don't think that's wise."

"We need to protect ourselves, Adam. It's obvious there are external forces with a thirst for power. If we can learn to channel our magic, then we'll be ready to defend the circle."

"I think there's a bigger issue here. Like what happened to your mother."

She shook her head. "I can't think about that right now."

"Diana knows, and it impacts all of us."

"Don't you think I know that? She's my best friend, and now this happens. We may never get past this, Adam."

His gentle touch settled her only slightly. "We can face this together."

Her eyes searched his, and she knew he wasn't referring to the circle. "It's getting late. I should probably go."

"Are you sure you want to be alone?"

She needed to think, and she couldn't do that with Adam close at hand. "For now."

"I don't like it, Cassie. Maybe I can make sure the house is secure." They both remembered what they'd seen in the house on Briar Hill, and there was no telling whether Rissa would show up unexpectedly with Blackwell's shade in tow.

Cassie finally acquiesced. "All right. You can come in."

Adam turned off his car's engine and followed her up the front stairs. They both stopped at the sight of the open front door, which was cracked open slightly. "What the hell?" Cassie said, pushing through the door and instantly feeling uneasy when she saw the disarray in the living room. Books were pulled from shelves and tossed onto the floor. Then she got one of her feelings, and it told her to run upstairs. "Follow me."

They went up the stairs two at a time and stopped at her bedroom door. A symbol was carved into the wood, and when they stepped inside, her room was in complete disarray. Cassie walked over to the cubby next to her fireplace, and felt around inside. "It's gone," she said, her voice cracking with emotion.

"Your Book of Shadows?"

Her only answer was a murmured yes. She walked over to her other hiding place, and saw only an empty box. Cassie held it up for inspection and said, "They also stole my crystal."

The shock and disappointment on Adam's face was almost more than she could stand. "Since when do you have a crystal?" His voice cracked with hurt, and Cassie blinked away some errant tears.

"Since my grandmother gave it to me."

"And you didn't think to tell _me_?"

"I'm sorry, Adam, but I wasn't supposed to tell _anyone_."

He blinked quickly. "And now it's gone. I could have helped you safeguard it."

Cassie saw that now. "At the time, it seemed like the right thing to do."

Adam's fingers clenched in and out. "Who would do this?"

"Just about anyone."

He touched the top of her hand. "Don't worry, Cassie, we'll figure this out." And before she could say anything, he leaned in and brushed her cheek with his lips. "Good night."

She looked up and was reassured by the steadiness and warmth of his gaze. "Good night, Adam."

He lingered at the doorway. "I'll check in later, just to make sure you're all right."

Cassie smiled and nodded. "Thanks. See you tomorrow."


	17. Chapter 17

17

Karin and Ethan finally sat down to dinner, and their easy banter skirted heavy topics until they got to the meat course. "So, this has been quite a night."

Ethan stopped cutting his steak and laid down his utensils. "I thought Cassie Blake coming to town was eventful, but your presence is like Hiroshima."

"_Thanks_," she said as she took a large swallow of pinot. "It wasn't supposed to happen this way."

His thoughtful gaze seemed to pull her brain inside out. "Wasn't it? Don't you foretell the future, Karin? See how things are supposed to unfold?"

"Sometimes." Karin couldn't have anticipated that Ethan would hide his guilt behind a bottle, instead of being the stand up guy she'd known all those years ago. "But then, who expected someone like Faye Chamberlain?"

"We all have our _Fayes_, K." His gaze softened and Karin felt something uncurl at her core. It coursed through her veins and quickened her pulse, until she was certain he could taste her arousal.

She leaned her head into one hand. "I see what Amelia saw in you, and wonder why she threw it all away."

Ethan looked sad, and she guessed he was craving his usual Glenlivet. "Because, good guys finish last, K."

"Are you...one of the good ones, Ethan?" They both knew the answer to that one.

"I like to think so," he said softly, leaning forward and looking out at the foggy night.

"Some might argue that point." Karin knew what had really happened on that boat, and Ethan was far from an innocent bystander. He'd done nothing to stop the witch hunters, or even tried to get his wife out from harm's way.

"Does that include you?"

She cringed at the pain in his eyes. "Of course not. And I'm hardly one to stand in judgment." When John Blackwell had gone after her parents, she'd been so terrified that she'd hidden under her bed until the monster was gone. Rather than stand up to the bully that Blackwell had been, she'd denied who and what she really was. And she was still doing it all these years later, as she hid behind the comfort of her Christian god.

Ethan reached across and fingered her cross. "But your friends certainly would." She could barely breathe as he tugged harder on the cross and drew her across the table. When their lips were only inches apart, he breathed, "So what does your God tell you now?"

"That I'm a lost soul." And with that, she closed the distance and covered his mouth with hers. In a flash, he was molding her lips to his and parting them with his thirsty tongue. As he drank and dined on her mouth, she completely submitted herself to him. Ethan's strong arms pulled her up and into him, entwining her with his essence as his tongue traveled down the side of her neck to her ear. When he dipped his head to the vee of her sweater, she groaned and said, "Let's get a room."

His muzzled laugh was enough to send her over the edge, and when he bent her over the bar, her entire being parted and let him in.


	18. Chapter 18

18

Diana's house only had one light burning when Faye arrived, and her Dad's car wasn't in the driveway. She tapped her usual pattern on the front door, and smirked at Diana when the door opened. "Thought you could use some company," she said with a phony smile.

"Using your psychic superpowers?" Diana said with an eye roll.

It was freezing, and rain was starting to pour down in torrents. "Can I come in already? I have nowhere to go."

Diana made an odd noise before moving aside to let her pass. "And I was your first choice? Interesting."

"Sarcasm doesn't become you, D."

"And I care about this because?" Diana returned to her spot on the sofa where she'd been reading.

Faye sighed. "Look, I get it. You're not the only one with parental issues."

Diana took a long sip of whatever beverage was steaming from her cup. "Oh, are we supposed to swap war stories about killer witches?"

"Something like that," she said without her usual venom. After Diana took another long sip, Faye concluded that she was tapping into Daddy's liquor stash. "You in a sharing mood?"

"What do you have in mind?" Diana said in a provocative tone that could be taken any number of ways.

Faye made a drinking motion. "Nothing sinister."

Diana actually chuckled. "Too bad. Because I could kick a few asses tonight, starting with Adam and ending with the Balcoins."

At that point, Faye decided to help herself to some Scotch. Diana made no move to stop her, so she poured a healthy amount into one of Charles's vintage Waterford tumblers. "Sounds like a plan."

"Everything is total crap." Diana's fatalistic tone was infectious, and Faye felt her spirits sinking ever deeper as they traded barbs.

When they stopped dissing each other and started in on Cadam, Faye felt laughter welling up in her chest. And when it escaped, she couldn't stop a mad giggling fit from permeating the air. Diana joined in, and three drinks in, they were both sloshed and ready to be besties. "You're totally right, D."

Diana smiled. "I'm always right." She hesitated and then asked, "What am I right about again?"

"It's all total crap."

Diana held up her mug and clinked it against Faye's. "Here's to crap."

Faye snickered, and barely noticed when her drink sloshed all over the gleaming wooden floor. "Oops," she said with a goofy grin. "Guess I should clean that up." She started forward and tripped over Diana's boots, which sent her sprawling into Diana's lap. And that was the very moment when Charles decided to open the front door and catch them in a compromising position.

"What the hell is going on here?"

Faye got up with a giggle. "Exactly what it looks like, Chuck." And with another laugh, she grabbed her coat and teetered out the front door.


	19. Chapter 19

19

Adam stared at the ceiling and swore to himself at the bump and grind that vibrated his walls. One part of him was happy his Dad had hooked up with someone, but the other was gnashing its teeth at the presence of a Balcoin past visiting hours. He didn't dislike Karin exactly, but he didn't trust her to save his life. The woman knew stuff she shouldn't know, and she held it over them like a brass ring. Like the stuff Cassie had said about his Dad. Had she picked it up from Karin, who may have intentionally put those thoughts in her head? Adam wouldn't put it past her, and he sensed she had her own agenda, just like everyone else in this town.

Sleep finally found him, and he stumbled out to the kitchen for coffee in preparation for his morning shift. Only his Dad was sitting there, looking surprisingly rested, all things considered. "Hey," Adam said as he poured out coffee.

Ethan seemed to sense Adam's unasked question. "She's at church."

Adam managed not to snort. "Doing what, prophesying for the sainted masses?"

"I think she does readings."

Another almost laugh made it out through his lips. "Bet she compels them to obey."

"Please give her a chance, Adam. I think her heart's in the right place," Ethan implored.

"I don't trust her. She just shows up, and all hell breaks loose."

His Dad sighed. "OK, maybe that's true, but I think it will all work out."

"That's what _you_ want to happen."

Ethan nodded. "You're right."

Adam bit his tongue. "Look, I want you to be happy, but at what price?"

"I don't know, Adam."

And with that, Ethan got up and went upstairs to open for breakfast, leaving Adam's mood to descend into the same black pits as the rancid coffee he sipped.

* * *

><p>Cassie's grandmother was in a great mood on Sunday morning, and the kitchen was filled with the tantalizing scent of blueberry pancakes. It almost felt like old times, those being from only a few months ago when Cassie had first arrived and her new life was full of infinite possibilities. Now it seemed like the circle was binding her so tightly she couldn't breathe. And Karin's revelations? They brought her to scary, dark places she might never emerge from. She had to make peace with her dark side, but how could she learn to live with something that alternately attracted and repulsed her?<p>

Jane sat down and picked at her pancake while reading the news. "When is that lovely young man coming back to visit?"

That wasn't how she would describe Rob Balcoin, but let Jane have her delusions a bit longer. "In a few days. He's out of town."

Suddenly Jane said, "I know you don't trust him, but he's the only one who can help me." There was a temporary spark in Jane's eyes that faded back into oblivion.

"I know, Grandma. I promise we'll make this right." Cassie patted her grandmother's hand and took a few more bites of breakfast.

"Of course you will," Jane said absently. "I expect nothing less from my Amelia."

Cassie merely smiled, not bothering to correct her grandmother's increasing confusion. It was weird, because she seemed to function just fine at work. It was only when she attempted to interact with Cassie and other members of the circle that her mind grew cloudy. Of course, that could all change in an eye blink, and Jane might be permanently out on disability if they didn't undo this inversion spell.

Cassie's phone buzzed suddenly and she saw a text from Adam.

**My shift gets off at 11:30. Want to hang out?**

She smiled, remembering the way he'd taken care of her last night. They were growing much closer, and it was likely Adam would take the next step and ask her out. She typed back a positive reply and read his funny commentary on his Dad's hooking up with Karin. Kind of what she hoped to do with Adam, sooner rather than later. She couldn't deny she wanted him, and maybe it would help her move past her feelings for Jake. Despite appearances, Cassie wasn't the shy, delicate type, and she certainly wasn't innocent when it came to sex. Her first encounter had been back in 9th grade, and she'd had more than her fill of boys and young men along the way to meeting Adam. None of those hookups were serious, but this thing with Adam felt completely different. Before he finished texting, he asked,

**How'd you like to meet up at Grace Episcopal?**

_OK. Why?_

**To mess with Karin's head.**

Cassie needed to give the Balcoins a break, but Adam was obviously in hot pursuit of more information, so she typed

_See you there_.

* * *

><p>Adam was so happy Cassie was here in his truck, sitting so close that their thighs touched. It heated him straight through his heart and tightened every part of him. When she glanced over and smiled sweetly, he felt lost in her cerulean eyes. Without thinking, he reached over and touched her cheek with his hand. Waiting for her to pull away, he was stunned when she captured his fingers in hers and kissed them. Her lips were soft and suddenly all he wanted was to pull her into his arms and deliver on the kiss that had been brewing between them for months. Only given her response, he didn't think it would stop there. "Cassie," he breathed. "Not here."<p>

Her brilliant smile heightened his arousal. "Then come home with me."

They hadn't even gone on a date yet. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Cassie ran her fingers down his arm and he shivered. "The best idea ever. Are you with me?"

What had come over her? She'd blown hot and cold since his breakup with Diana, but now she was full steam ahead. "I am, but not like this."

Her mouth turned down slightly. "Life is short, Adam, and I'm tired of waiting."

Adam suddenly realized what was happening. This was a delayed reaction to the news about Amelia, and she was acting out. "So am I, but for now, we have no choice." He pointed at the crowd of church goers pouring out through the back doors, and chief among them was Karin. When she spotted them, she gave a hesitant wave and approached them with wary eyes.

"What brings you here?" Karin asked, leaning on his window frame and smiling at Cassie.

"We need answers," Adam said.

Karin's lips tightened. "I've told you all that pertains to your current circle."

"But you know things about my Dad...I want to know what they are."

She fingered her cross. "I can't do that, Adam. And trust me when I say that you don't want to know the truth."

Adam searched her eyes and felt Cassie's grip tighten on his forearm. "That's not your call."

"In this case, it is. I've made an oath to your father that I will not break."

"Even at the cost of harming Cassie and the rest of the circle?" Adam's voice cracked with anger.

"One has nothing to do with the other," Karin shot back.

"Oh, really, I find that hard to believe." Cassie's interjection caused Karin to rock back on her heels slightly. There was power brewing, and suddenly Adam saw blue sparks as Karin fended off something Cassie had inadvertently tossed at her.

There was another magical push and this time Cassie gasped, her hands going to her throat as Karin said, "Don't do that again. _Ever_! And certainly not here."

Adam was tempted to mentally slap Karin, but she'd squash him like a bug. "Faye was right about you. You're as much a witch as the rest of us, and like it or not, we're all in this together."

"That remains to be seen." And with that parting shot, Karin turned her back on them and walked off to her Subaru.


	20. Chapter 20

20

Karin returned to Ethan's and they clasped hands over the table. "I need their blood, Eth. Can you lure them here?"

"On what pretext? They're hardly my friends."

Her face hurt when she forced out a smile. "Tell them you found a crystal."

Ethan's cool blue eyes searched her face. "Are you kidding? I can't play those kind of games with them."

She dug into her satchel and drew out the topaz. "Use this."

He examined all its facets and shook his head. "I can't do that to you."

Karin folded his fingers around it. "Don't worry. I have others."

He leaned in. "How is that possible? That you even have one is mind boggling."

Now her laugh was genuine. "I don't need crystals to do my dirty work, and neither do you."

He straightened and speared her with those piercing blue orbs. "What are you saying, K?"

"That it's all smoke and mirrors."

"But they stripped us of our powers."

"Maybe so, but no one says you can't get them back."

"How am I supposed to do that?"

She stroked the top of his hand and an actual spark leapt between her fingers. "Like this."

Ethan stared at her. "I feel..._energized_."

"Good. There's more where that came from."

"Before or after you take their blood?"

Her only answer was a shrug. "You'll see."

* * *

><p>Adam dropped Cassie off with assurances that they'd connect soon on how to help Jane. He knew Jane was working again, so he figured he'd stop by again later with takeout from the Boathouse. It gave him an excuse to see her again (like he needed one), and maybe they could take that next step he was dying for. Cassie also seemed pretty primed for action, but it was way too soon. She wouldn't see it that way, but he had to convince her that his feelings went way beyond lust. While she was sorting through all of Karin's revelations, he'd give her the time she needed.<p>

And then there was Jake, whose return had to be imminent. Deep inside, Adam knew Jake really cared about Cassie, or he wouldn't have saved their hides like he had. But it didn't stop him from despising Jake with a bitter hatred that went way beyond reason. Yeah, he had screwed his Dad out of a month's livelihood, and sure, the jealousy monster was beating its ugly green heart inside him, but there was also something shady about the guy. Adam couldn't put his finger on it, but he was positive Jake had taken down other witches in cold blood. Nobody changed their stripes that quickly, even for the love of a woman. Chances were good that Jake would revert to his true nature, and then Cassie would finally see him for what he really was.

He pulled into the parking lot and watched as Karin and his Dad walked to her car. Before Karin got in, Ethan started kissing her passionately, which lasted for quite some time. When they finally came up for air, Karin ran her hand through Ethan's hair and kissed him on the cheek. Adam's face was uncomfortably hot as he sauntered across the parking lot, hoping to avoid both of them. He was only three steps from the door when he heard tires hitting a rock and her voice rang out. "Adam, I was hoping to see you."

Adam turned and cocked his head slightly. "Why?"

"To discuss Jane."

"Now?"

"Sure. Hop in."

He had a ready excuse. "Sorry, I've got an exam to study for."

She smiled at his lie. "You sure? Because I have the latest scoop on Jake."

Adam picked up a rock and threw it across the lot. "So what?"

Karin's lips widened. "Cassie knows."

His head came up. "What are you saying?"

"Jake's back in town, and headed straight to her house."

Adam met her eyes and knew she had his number. "Don't do this."

"What?"

"This reading my mind crap. My thoughts are private, and you need to stay out."

"It's not that simple."

"Sure it is. I've asked you to stop, and as a friend of my Dad, you should at least give me that courtesy."

Karin leaned her elbow on her car door. "There's no off switch, Adam."

"I don't believe you."

She hung her head slightly. "I wish you did. It would make life so much easier."

He folded his arms. "My Dad might be into you, but you're not telling him everything."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I'd bet my life on it."

"You're right, but certain things need to stay hidden...for _now_."

Adam kicked at the tire of her car. "Like the fact that you're using him?"

Karin shook her lion's mane of golden hair. "I swear I'm not, Adam. I've always loved him."

"Since when, two days ago?"

Another shake of her head. "We met 15 years ago at the college. Your Dad was doing research, and we met in the library."

Finally, some truth. "And you're just reconnecting now? How convenient."

"You don't understand. I've been in New England for most of the last decade. I only moved back here recently when I heard about Cassie."

This was truth mixed with lies. "Along with a band of witch hunters. I find the timing a bit suspicious."

Karin started to reach out and thought better of it at the last second. "I'm not aligned with them."

He tossed out the same words she'd used on him earlier. "That remains to be seen."

With a sigh, she said, "I'll catch up with you later."

Adam watched her drive away, and as soon as she was out of sight, he jumped in his truck and headed for Cassie's house.


	21. Chapter 21

21

_Under a sky, no one sees,_  
><em>Waiting, watching it happening.<em>  
><em>Don't hurry give it time,<em>  
><em>Things are the way they have to be.<em>  
><em>Slow down, give it time,<em>  
><em>Still life, you know I'm listening.<em>  
><em>The moment that you want is coming if you give it time<em>

_Still Life, Lyrics by The Horrors_

The empty house echoed around her as Cassie paced back and forth on an already worn wooden floor. It creaked under her slight weight as she walked back and forth from the kitchen to the sun porch, where she fingered Grandma's precious orchids and wondered if they'd drop dead under her care. She touched the desiccated soil and realized they hadn't been tended to in weeks. With a lump in her throat, she watered the plants carefully until just before the liquid spilled over the edge. Some of these plants had been hybridized by her grandmother, and could be found nowhere else.

With tears burning her eyes and shaking hands, Cassie set down the watering can and sat in her Grandmother's favorite wicker chair. When Jane wasn't ensconced in the kitchen, she was out here reading gardening books by the cartload, absorbing everything she could get her hands on. And it showed in the award winning gardens that surrounded the house, from her sacred herb garden to her formal English rose garden. The only magic used was that born of long practice and innate wisdom. People were always coming to Jane for gardening advice, or just to swap perennials when they were newly divided.

Cassie looked out at the bright day and wondered what the hell she was supposed to do. With her mother gone, and her grandmother's mind hanging by a thread, she seemed to be out of options. For a time, she'd believed the Circle was behind her, but she couldn't say that now. It was bad enough that Charles and Dawn had fucked up a spell, but now she knew that her best friend's father had murdered her mother. How was she supposed to live with that, knowing what he'd done every time she talked to or visited with Diana? And now her friend knew too, and there was no telling what the fallout would be.

Everything was falling apart, and she had to find a way to shore it up. If that involved using dark magic, then so be it. She wasn't afraid to face her demons anymore, and she'd take down anyone who tried to stop her. Without thinking, she unfolded the sketch of the symbol that someone had carved into her door, and knew she had seen it somewhere before. She scoured her mind, trying to place where she'd seen it, but nothing was coming through. Her stomach rumbled, and that's when she realized she hadn't eaten all day. With that, she stepped back into the kitchen, and her hand was reaching for the refrigerator handle when the doorbell rang.

It was probably Adam, coming to check on her and bring her food. With an inward smile, Cassie felt a spring in her step as she moved swiftly to the front door. She pulled it open, and felt dread when she saw Jake standing there, his periwinkle eyes pleading her forgiveness. A million conflicting thoughts warred within her, and it was a full minute before she said, "How can you even be here?"

* * *

><p>Adam pulled up in his truck just as Jake was stepping through the door. "Frikkin hell," he muttered, jumping out before remembering that his engine was still running. Without blinking, he put his hand on the hood and stilled it to silence. He strode up the walk like a man with a mission, and knocked loudly on the door.<p>

A moment later, Cassie peeked out from behind the partly open door. "Jake is back."

He looked beyond her to see Jake hovering in the background. "I know. Karin warned me. Can I come in?"

She stepped to one side and opened the door. "Sure. I was just cooking up some burgers. You game?"

Hell yeah, he was _so_ there. As long as Jake was here, he was right in the guy's face. "What are _you_ doing here?" Adam gave Jake a hard stare and it was returned in full measure.

"I'm here to help Cassie."

Adam stepped closer and was nearly eye to eye with the blonde. "With _what_? _We've_ got it covered."

Jake narrowed his eyes. "We, as in _you_?"

"What's your point, Jake? You don't belong here," Adam said, anger radiating off him in waves. He was itching to strike at Jake, and choke the living crap out of him for hurting Cassie.

Jake retorted, "It's not up to you. _Cassie_ invited me in."

Adam was fuming, and he felt magic tingling at his fingertips. Looking over at Cassie, he forced a semblance of calm into his tone. "Do you want him here?"

Her blue eyes were wide with indecision. "He knows things, Adam. We need to understand what's going on."

Much as he hated to admit it, Adam knew she had a point. "And when that's finished?"

Cassie looked over at Jake before turning back to Adam. "Then he'll rejoin the Circle, and help us learn more about magic."

"Really? After nearly getting us all killed by the witch hunters, you're welcoming him back with open arms?"

Jake folded his arms and Adam caught a flash of smugness in his eyes. "After I've proven myself, of course."

Cassie wedged her way between them and pushed them aside. "It's not that simple, and you both know that. Can we please call a truce? I'm starving, and I'd like to eat dinner sometime this century."

Adam glared at Jake, who stared back in triumph. "Sure. But after dinner, all bets are off."


	22. Chapter 22

22

The food was good, but the company? Not so much. Cassie tried several neutral topics, which immediately turned to sniping and sarcasm. Even sports was contentious, since Jake rooted for the Angels and Adam favored the Mariners.

She rolled her eyes as they traded barbs and scooped out some Rocky Road, which seemed fitting for the two men in her life. She gave Adam an extra scoop, hoping to put some meat on his lanky frame. He raised an eyebrow at the amount, then his eyes flashed thanks when he saw Jake's tiny portion.

"Penny pinching?" Jake said archly.

"Something like that." She folded her hands on the table and added, "How about retreating to neutral corners?"

Adam licked his spoon, and when he saw her watching, he slid his tongue sensuously around its underside. Cassie's face flamed as his hooded eyes watched her, pleased that he was getting to her, and throwing it right in Jake's face. "No such thing," Adam said, dropping his spoon into the cup with a clatter.

Jake smirked at Adam's obvious ploy, and bumped his chair against Cassie's. "Let me help you clean up."

He stood up so abruptly that his forehead collided with hers. She started rubbing the spot and said, "I got it."

"Are you OK? Do you need ice?" Jake's hand touched her cheek as he examined her, and his warm breath fanned her face.

Cassie sensed Adam's displeasure and stepped back. "I'm fine."

She started loading the dishwasher while the two boys sat in stony silence. Finally Jake said, "I know you don't believe me, Adam, but I am here to help."

"Who, your witch hunter friends?"

"They aren't my friends."

Adam replied, "Neither are we."

Cassie tossed a towel at him. "Adam, this isn't helping."

He came over and began loading dishes. When one of the pots clattered loudly, he said, "This won't work, Cassie. There's too much distrust."

"On your part?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

He frowned at Jake, who flashed a phony smile. "Among others."

Cassie knew Faye also had major problems with Jake's presence. "And you have good reason, but I think his intentions are good."

Adam reached for the salad bowl and caught her hand in his. Her breathing quickened when he caressed her palm with his thumb. "So are mine."

Jake was no longer smiling. "Enough whispering, Conant. What are you, five?"

She slid her hand out of Adam's. "This isn't helping. We need to work together."

Adam leaned against the counter, his hip very close to hers. "Playing nice isn't Jake's strong suit."

Their pissing contest was getting on her nerves. "Or yours."

He blinked at her tone, but finally nodded. "We should call the others and meet up tomorrow night."

Jake said, "Sounds good. Shall we meet up at the house?"

Cassie was happy they were finally in accord. "How about 9:00?"

Adam and Jake exchanged frosty glances and in unison, they said, "Sure," and parted ways without another word.

* * *

><p>Adam parked around the corner from Cassie's house and watched Jake drive away. He was half tempted to follow him, but his desire to be with Cassie outweighed his need to know what Jake was up to.<p>

After a few minutes, he locked his truck and approached Cassie's house from the back. Her shining hair was reflected in the lamplight as she finished up the dishes, and her golden beauty stunned him into reverent silence. The warmth that suffused his body was like nothing he'd ever experienced. It was dazed desire mixed with strong emotion, and that's when Adam realized he'd fallen hard.

He'd loved Diana with all his heart, but that started to fade the moment Cassie came into the picture. It tore at him to admit that Diana was right about everything, except there was no going back. Neither of them wanted to say they had no future, but he'd come to the realization that his Dad was right about destiny. He'd be damned if he let Jake step in and tear Cassie to pieces with his agenda. For there had to be an agenda, and he'd figure out what it was.

Adam tapped on the back door and raised his brows when she peered through the glass at him. "I thought you'd gone home."

He shook his head. "Nope. Thought you might like some company."

Cassie's rosebud lips widened into a lovely smile. "I'd like that."

She stood aside to let him pass, and just after she latched the door, Adam slung his arm around her waist and pulled her close. "I'm glad," he said softly, hands resting on her waist and loving the way she curved into him.

Her hands rested on his shoulders, sliding slowly down his arms as if testing his measure. "There's more to you than meets the eye."

His eyes closed when her fingers ran down his chest and teased the edge of his shirt slightly upward. "Uh...Cassie, you might want to..."

Cassie stood on tiptoe and wound her hands around his neck. With her lips only inches from his, she said, "Do this?" Her mouth brushed across his, and Adam moaned deep in his throat when she traced the outline of his lips with her tongue. His mouth opened wide under her insistent pressure, and every part of him yearned to take her right there. He scooped her into his arms and carried her to the couch, where they both started shedding layers. When they were almost down to bare skin, Cassie pulled an afghan over them and whispered, "Stay with me?"

Adam murmured against her throat, "Thought you'd never ask."


	23. Chapter 23

23

Cassie woke up to bright sunshine and her obnoxious alarm. Her clothes were folded neatly on a chair, along with her cell phone.

The light was blinking, indicating a text. As she opened up a note from Adam, her face flamed as she remembered last night's steamy events:

_Your grandmother is home, safe and sound. We met on the stairs, and it was a bit weird. See you at school._  
><em>PS-Last night was amazing.<em>

Despite appearances, Adam was all muscle and sinew, and strong as an ox. She'd memorized him from head to toe, especially his talented mouth and hands. He'd made her vibrate with passion, and sent her over the edge when he found her sweet spot. But in the end, she was the one who stopped it, saying it was too soon.

He nodded like he got it. "I know."

And she couldn't forget Diana. "She won't like it."

Adam sighed. "Probably not, but we both have to move on."

"I know, but she's my best friend. I don't like going behind her back."

He'd touched her face gently. "We'll tell her together."

That would only make it worse, and besides, there was another conversation that took priority. "I'll do it."

"Are you sure?"

Her only answer had been a nod as she settled against him, pointing out the constellations on her ceiling. "They move."

"I see that." Of course he did, he was her other half. And that's when Cassie became convinced that this destiny thing had merit.

* * *

><p>Adam woke up to the sound of Karin on the phone. She was in the kitchen, but sound carried in their cramped quarters. When the word 'crystal' was uttered, it piqued his interest. He crept out into the hallway and heard the shower running. Karin had obviously figured no one would hear her; she'd figured wrong.<p>

"Jane isn't improving, and I can't do this without the crystal."

Dad had told him crystals were bogus, but Adam had scoffed at that notion. Looked like he was right, and Ethan was the only one sold on Karin's brand of bullshit. He moved a few steps closer and avoided the creaky board near the threshold. She was sitting at the table, her blonde hair cascading down her back in waves. His mouth opened, for her profile was so much like Cassie's that it was startling, It was only when she turned with those smoldering dark eyes that the resemblance ended. She waved him in and pointed to the fresh pot of coffee. She clicked off her phone and said, "You make a lousy spy."

He snickered despite himself. "And you suck at hiding your tracks. That makes us even."

"If you say so." Karin stood up and stretched. "How did it go with Cassie and Jake?"

Adam bit into a freshly baked muffin. "Mmm, good," he said, enjoying the double entendre.

Karin smiled. "He's into her."

He took another bite. "So what?"

"And he's not giving up."

"Neither am I."

"And what about his hidden agenda? You know he has one," she reminded him.

"So do you." His Dad might be buying into Karin's version of truth, but Adam sure wasn't.

"This isn't about me."

That was so ridiculous that Adam laughed. "Yeah, right. Look, my Dad might think you're the second coming, but I'm not sold."

"Good. Then maybe you'll survive."

What the hell was she talking about? "That's hardly comforting."

She looked over her shoulder with those spooky eyes. "It's not meant to be."

* * *

><p>Faye was running late for school, so when she ran out to her car, the last person she wanted to see was Jake. "What the hell are you doing here?"<p>

He smiled. "I came to beg for forgiveness."

"Did you now?" Jake always had an ulterior motive, and it would take time she didn't have to figure out why he was here.

"I wasn't very nice on Halloween."

"No shit. So why are you really here?"

"To ask for your help."

She started laughing. "Not a chance."

"You're the only one they'll believe."

Faye couldn't believe what he was asking. "Oh my God, you want _me _to vouch for you? Are you insane?"

"Maybe, but you're my only hope. They won't listen to Cassie."

"What's in it for me?"

Jake flashed a sly smile, showing her his true colors. "The location of a crystal."

Faye cocked her head. "Do tell."

"It's nearer than you think."

God, she hated this cloak and dagger crap. "_Where_?"

He leaned in. "In your Mom's nightstand."

"Try again." Her murderous mother would never be dumb enough to stash it there.

"That's where it is. I'd bet my life on it."

"Talk is cheap, and I'm late for school."

"Just look there."

He stepped back and as her car drew abreast of him, Faye said, "Maybe I will, but I sure as hell don't trust you."

Jake put his hands to his chest like she'd stabbed him through the heart. "And why should you? But maybe after tonight, you'll have a change of heart."

* * *

><p>Diana buried her head in her locker in hopes that everyone would go away. Those hopes were dashed when Adam showed up. "Are you OK?" he asked, touching her arm like he always used to.<p>

She shrugged off his hand. "I've been better."

"That stuff you heard last night...take it with a grain of salt."

Was he kidding? "My Dad murdered Cassie's mother."

"But we don't have proof."

"You're right. And I'm done talking about this." Diana slammed her locker and put Adam behind her, both literally and figuratively.

* * *

><p>Cassie's whole body felt like it was glowing, and she was sure everyone could see it. Adam Conant had branded her as his own, and she could feel it every time he scorched her with those cobalt eyes There was the slide of his hand at her waist in the lunch line, the trace of his finger on her palm in Chem, and a hip check as he passed her locker.<p>

These little sneak peeks told her the main attraction would be epic, and it would be soon. So when she caught up with Diana after lunch, it was only fair to warn her that she and Adam were hooking up. "Hey," she said, standing a few feet away.

"Cassie." Diana barely acknowledged her, and looked at her feet rather than at Cassie.

"I'm not sure what to say, or what to believe."

"Neither am I." Diana raised her head, tears glittering in her eyes. "Is that what tonight's meeting is about?"

"In part."

"You mean there's more?"

"You could say that." Cassie moved a bit closer. "Is there somewhere we can talk?"

Diana stood woodenly by her locker. "It's here, or it's nowhere."

So it was going to be like that. "Adam and I are together."

"I know. He was all over you today."

Cassie thought they'd been discreet. "Look, I know this is difficult..."

"i doubt you know anything of the kind. Everything seems to fall into your lap."

"That's not true."

"Isn't it? You have all this power, and you've somehow managed to bewitch two of the best looking guys in town."

"It's not like that."

Diana's voice was bright with pain, and all Cassie wanted to do was hug her friend and banish her pain. "So tell me how it is, Cassie. Tell me how innocent you are, and that you can't help yourself."

There was actually truth to that, given the kick that destiny had given her in the pants. "I can, but I don't want to."

Diana was taken aback by this admission. "How can you stand there and say that and still call yourself my best friend?"

"That will never change, Diana."

"It already has, Cassie." Diana finished loading her books and looked at Cassie in resignation. "I have nothing more to say to you."


	24. Chapter 24

24

Karin received another call from Rob later that morning. "I have it."

"_Good_. When can I expect you?"

"Sometime tonight. But don't wait up for me."

She smiled to herself. "Wouldn't think of it. By the way, have you heard from Rissa?"

"Not recently, why?"

This was bad. "She called a few days ago, and wasn't herself. I think Blackwell's shade was driving."

Rissa was far weaker than the two of them. "Then she has no chance. Did you look for her?"

"Of course! She was nowhere to be found, and she didn't show up for work."

"So where is she? Aren't you supposed to see everything?" Rob's faintly mocking tone failed to raise her ire.

"Not with those close to me."

"Doesn't take a psychic to know how this will unfold, K."

Karin reached for her coffee before putting it down when a wave of nausea hit her. "Should I call the police?"

Rob made a rude noise. "Surely you jest. Even if they had half a clue, we can't draw attention to this."

He was right. "Then we'll use a locater spell."

"Do those ever work?"

Karin suddenly remembered why she disliked her brother. "I suppose you have a better idea?"

His laugh was jarring. "Not at the moment. But let me think on it."

"You do that," Karin said tartly, before clicking off her phone and tossing it into her bag. With a sigh, she got to her feet before her stomach twisted violently and sent her heaving lunch into the trash.

* * *

><p>It felt like the longest day of her life, and by the time the final bell rang, Cassie was ready to curl up and sleep forever. She dodged Adam by staying after school to help Sally prepare for an upcoming fundraiser. They talked quietly as they planned, and the sun was setting by the time Cassie left school. The parking lot was empty, which was just how she liked it.<p>

Her time with Adam had been extraordinary, but it also scared her. She'd nearly lost control with him, and she couldn't afford to do that. There were too many unanswered questions, and immersing herself in a relationship would be a distraction. Not that she thought of Adam that way, but he was passionate to his very core. They'd burn like a supernova, and incinerate everyone around them. The Circle might be bound, but it seemed to have little effect on the energy between her and Adam. As he'd twined and twisted his lovely, elegant body around her, light bulbs had popped and crystals had shattered in the chandelier. At that moment, they were close to the edge, until that moment when she had pulled back.

And now she feared she must retreat even further, if only to give herself some time. She'd always been a loner, and even though she'd had her share of hook-ups, none of them had ever amounted to anything. This time was different, and she wanted it to matter. She also didn't want to rush things, even if her traitorous libido told her to jump him.

She drove home slowly, and her heart broke when she Adam's truck parked up front. He had the cabin light on and was obviously studying as he waited, so intent in his reading that he didn't see her right away. She was halfway out of her car before he snapped to attention and ran up to her. "Are you OK? I was worried."

He leaned in to kiss her and she turned her face aside. "I can't do this right now."

His gorgeous smile faded. "I don't understand, Cassie. Tell me what's wrong."

Cassie gulped as raw emotion closed her throat. "Nothing..._everything_."

"Is this about Jake?" The uncertainty in his voice nearly did her in.

She shook her head. "It's about me, Adam. I need to learn what it means to be a Balcoin, and what that entails for the Circle. With all that's happened, I'm not sure I can focus on anything else right now."

Adam's eyes looked thoughtful, shuttered slightly by his luxuriant lashes. "Let me help you, Cassie."

"Only if I ask for it, OK?"

His hand touched her shoulder. "You're not in this alone."

Cassie covered his hand with hers and squeezed slightly. "Thanks." She saw that her grandmother was home and added, "I should probably go in. See you later at the house?"

His face fell. "Sure. Maybe we can drive there together."

Her only response was a nod as she moved swiftly up the walk to check on Jane, whose rare appearance at this hour meant she hadn't reported in to work. That spelled trouble, and whatever Rob Balcoin planned on doing better happen soon, or it would be too late.


	25. Chapter 25

25

Faye's mother was out, and that was fine with her. She barely knew what to say in the face of what she knew to be true. Diana could be in denial all she wanted, but Faye was a realist. The truth sucked, but her mother was more than capable of murdering someone. The Balcoin bitches were the real deal, and Faye was completely on board with them.

So what if she didn't trust them? That didn't mean they didn't have the goods, and Faye intended to ride on their coattails and milk them for all they were worth.

The question was, how did Jake know about her Mother's crystal? He obviously had insider information, and she wanted to know how that worked. Maybe he had his own crystal, hidden away from the others until he performed his dark deeds. She wouldn't put it past him.

So after Dawn went out for drinks with Charles Meade, Faye snuck into her room. The nightstand was stuffed full of books, but there was a velvet pouch toward the back. She drew it out and dumped a white crystal into her palm. With glee, she wondered what it would take to activate it.

Faye dialed Jake and waited for his cool reply. "You were right," she said.

He chuckled. "So you found it."

"How did you know about it?"

"You know I can't tell you that."

"How does it work?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Jake's smug tone set her teeth on edge.

"I'll bring it tonight, and you can show me."

"Not sure I'm coming," he said.

"But her Majesty has ordered it."

"And green is totally _not_ your color."

"And it's yours? Tell me it's not killing you that she's with Adam."

"It's not. Maybe I'll see you later." He hung up before she could get the last word in.

* * *

><p>Karin waited in the wings while Ethan chatted up Dawn and Charles. They ordered some expensive brandy and she slipped each of them a Mickey while Ethan looked the other way. "Is this really necessary?" he asked quietly.<p>

She patted his shoulder. "They won't give it up for free. This is the only way."

"How long will they be out?"

"Long enough," she said.

Ethan served up the drinks and a short time later, their only customers were sound asleep. Karin walked over with her ceremonial dagger and drew a line down each palm while Ethan gathered their blood in crystal vials. When she had enough. she applied a healing spell and their wounds disappeared.

"See? No dark magic required." Karin smiled, but she saw only worry furrowing Ethan's brow.

"Are you sure this will work?"

"It's the only way, I'm afraid." And it all came down to Rob and the Balcoin crystal that had taken him out of town.

"Do you need my help?" Ethan asked, clearly wanting to please her but still reluctant to get further involved.

"Nope, I have it covered."

"I hope you're right."

Adam swung through the doors from the back, looking completely miserable. Before she had a chance to waylay him, he slammed the door to the outside and got in his truck and drove away. "What was that about?"

"I thought you knew every intimate detail."

"Not always."

"Cassie's put things on the back burner."

That wouldn't last, but Adam and Cassie would have to work this out themselves. "Maybe she doesn't want to be the rebound girl." Karin gave Ethan a pointed stare, and he flushed as she telegraphed a distant memory of pushing her aside to be with Amelia.

* * *

><p>The stormy weather matched the general mood at the old house. Diana stood off to one side with folded arms and tense lips, greeting each of them with a forced smile. Melissa was doing her own thing, texting one of her non-witch friends while they waited for Faye and Jake. Cassie hated herself for hurting Adam, but she couldn't encourage him right now. He stood about two feet to her left, but it might as well be a mile. The ride up to Briar Hill had been tense and silent, broken only by him asking about Jane. She'd assured him that her grandmother was hanging in there, but didn't add that her mind was unraveling rapidly.<p>

At ten past 9, Jake and Faye finally strolled in with smirks in place. Cassie wondered what the hell Jake was up to, and judging from the company he was keeping, it was probably no good.

"So why are we here?" Faye said.

"We need to clear the air," Cassie started. "Things have been said, and I know people are hurting." She could barely stand to think about Charles Meade burning her mother alive, but it bore discussion.

Diana swabbed at her eyes. "What's the point? Even if it's all true, we can't change what's happened."

Adam moved between Diana and Cassie, trying to be the peacemaker. "Diana's right, Cassie. We can all point fingers, but it won't bring people back."

Cassie knew things were nearly at a breaking point. "We can't let the Circle fall apart. And we can't let our parents divide us."

Faye walked forward into the fray. "Maybe we should find out what they're up to. What do you all think?"

It was a good idea, and Cassie nodded. "It's the right approach, but how do we approach them?"

Faye opened her palm and they all gasped at the sight of her crystal, which flared to life with the circle's power at her beck and call. "With this, and anything else we can get our hands on."

* * *

><p>Karin and Ethan watched as Dawn and Charles made their way out, finally revived with some strong coffee and a simple forget spell. They chatted in animation as they parted ways, and Karin breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God that's over."<p>

Ethan fingered her cross with a half smile. "I doubt He was involved."

She made a face. "I've never done that before."

"No kidding." But she knew Ethan had, even as he was trying to change his ways. "What happens now?"

"Rob should be back tonight, and tomorrow we do the ritual."

"You sure you know what you're doing?" Ethan cared about Jane Blake and Cassie, and was only looking out for their welfare.

"Rob does. I'm only there to assist."

"Can you repair her memories?"

"That's the plan," Karin said with a shrug.

Ethan was about to comment when someone knocked at the back door to the restaurant. They both walked over to see a drenched Rob, who rushed in when Ethan unlocked the door. Karin instantly felt ill, and knew it was the Balcoin crystal wreaking its usual havoc on her. She backed away from him, and didn't stop until she was behind the bar. "Keep that thing away from me," she warned.

Ethan looked at Rob. "What thing?"

Rob unfurled his fingers and a blood red crystal sent out a blinding beam of light. "Francis Balcoin's crystal."

Karin instantly felt Ethan's fear. "Meaning what exactly?"

"It's the key to unlocking his power," Rob said.

"How is that even possible?"

Karin knew he wouldn't understand, but she tried anyway. "Just before Francis was hung, he embedded this stone with all his power."

Rob added, "It's been in our family for generations."

"And you want to use it on Jane?" Ethan asked, looking even more scared when Karin nodded. "That sounds like a seriously bad idea."

"I know how it sounds, but it's the only way to reverse the damage."

Ethan touched the top of her hand. "What happens if John Blackwell taps into that energy?"

Rob said, "He won't." His phone rang and when he saw the caller, he said, "I have to take this. Give me a moment."

Karin suddenly felt a mental push and that's when she envisioned Rissa's body lying at the bottom of a ravine. "It's Rissa," she said to Ethan. "She's dead."

Her brother hung up and nodded gravely. "A hunter found her. It looks like she jumped."

Or maybe she was pushed. Either way, she was gone from them.


	26. Chapter 26

26

Cassie told her grandmother she wasn't feeling well, and Jane called the school without blinking. She seemed to be in automatic mode as she prepared coffee and read her paper. Shortly after 10, Karin and Rob arrived, along with news about their cousin Rissa.

"I'm sorry." What else could she say? She didn't even know her now dead cousin.

"Thanks." Karin looked around as if to sniff the air. "You've had unwelcome visitors."

"Plural?"

Karin touched the banister. "Rissa was here. And so was Dawn Chamberlain."

At this rate, everyone in town would be accused of B&E. Cassie sighed and pulled out her sketch. "Do you know what this is?"

"It helps channel dark magic. Which tells me John Blackwell was involved."

This was getting better by the moment. "My crystal and Book of Shadows were taken."

"Dawn took the crystal."

"That explains a lot."

"How so?"

"Faye was flashing it around last night."

Karin rolled her eyes. "To what end?"

"Oh, she felt like it would help the circle fight the witch hunters."

"Really? So it has nothing to do with solo magic?"

That was all Faye cared about. "I think she was just showing off."

Karin nodded. "As to your Book of Shadows, they found it with Rissa's body. And I'm afraid the police have it right now."

Cassie couldn't be hearing that right. "Oh my God, this is bad."

"This wasn't supposed to happen, but it can't be helped. They'll release it to us as soon as they rule her death a suicide."

Things were never that simple. "_Was_it...a suicide?"

"It looks that way," Karin said with a shrug that spoke volumes.

"I know this sounds crazy, but maybe my...John Blackwell was responsible."

"That's entirely possible, but nothing we can prove."

And there would be no point in bringing it up when the cops came around, as they inevitably would. "Right. So, do you have everything?"

Rob dug into his satchel and brought out a huge red crystal. It glowed like Sauron's eye, and Cassie felt instantly creeped out. "What is that?"

"The Balcoin crystal. And soon it will be yours."

* * *

><p>Karin watched Cassie shrink into herself, hands dug deep into her pockets. She wanted nothing to do with the crystal, and who could blame her? It was a throbbing mass of Big Bad in a pretty wrapper, but even that was marred. When you looked into it, you'd almost swear someone was leering back at you.<p>

Her theory was that Balcoin's power wasn't the only thing trapped in there, but she wasn't about to mind meld with a crystal to figure this out. If the old bastard was fossilized in stone, then he deserved to stay there. And that was fine with Karin, for she had more than enough power at her disposal.

Unfortunately, the spell required to help Jane was a dark one, and they needed to tap the crystal to pull it off. It was either that, or major blood sacrifice, and Karin was having none of that. She'd cut herself enough over the years in the name of helping Rob, and the most she'd do today was cut her hand for a few drops. Jane and Rob also needed to add to the blood store, and then they'd close things off. Karin instructed Cassie to draw the circle and leave enough space for everyone to come through before she completed it. Cassie watched as Karin cleansed the air with sage, offering it to all four directions before dousing it in sea water. She started lighting colored candles at different points on the circle, leaving the final dark purple sconce for last.

"Please get Jane," she said softly.

Jane followed Cassie without argument and stepped into the circle. "Why are we doing this?" she asked, her eyes bright with confusion.

"To repair things," Karin said gently.

"Who did this to me?"

"Some very bad people," Rob answered, beckoning for them to enter the circle.

* * *

><p>Cassie stepped in and closed up the circle and happened to look up. On the ceiling was a faint after image of the symbol carved in her door. She raised questioning eyes to Karin, who shook her head. "Let's do this," Karin said, taking the stone from her brother and nearly fainting as its energy pulsed through her and out to Jane.<p>

Rob started chanting in Latin, Gaelic, and Old Norse, calling on benevolent deities that could aid them. Cassie's eyes widened when a white shape materialized and dove into Karin. When Karin turned, her obsidian eyes were the starless black of the darkest night. She placed one hand in the blood and swirled it around, then traced a pattern on Jane's forehead. Placing one hand on the crystal, she cupped Jane's face with the other.

Joining her brother, she chanted along, then veered into harsh, dark words that burned the air as she uttered them. Cassie recognized it as a form of German, and her mouth opened when fire flamed into life over Jane's head. It started as orange before morphing into green, and ending with blue, which Cassie realized was Karin's essence. It was the same light she'd seen the other night from Karin's fake crystal, which made her wonder what she could believe anymore.

The torrent of words went on, droning on so long that Cassie started to feel sleepy. But Karin had warned her to be on her guard, for any entity that passed through could take her over if she wasn't careful. After an interminable time, there was a loud pop and the dark purple candle flared up, its flames shooting up a good six feet before subsiding back to a normal burn.

Karin's head came up and she looked at Cassie with a nod. "It's done."

Rob scuffed out the circle as Cassie asked, "Did it work?" She looked over at her grandmother, who looked ready to rock.

"Only time will tell, but I think so. Jane showed me a lot of things, and I was able to clean out the cobwebs."

Jane stopped suddenly and looked around her with a clarity that Cassie hadn't seen in almost a month. "What's going on here, Cassie? Why aren't you in school?"

"I wanted to spend time with you today, Grandma," Cassie said, a tiny smile blooming on her face as she watched Jane stretch.

"That's sweet," Jane said, ruffling Cassie's hair slightly. "I feel like I've been asleep for a thousand years."

She exchanged glances with Karin and Rob and looked over at Cassie. "Were these folks responsible for restoring my mind?"

Cassie was amazed that her grandmother seemed to know exactly what had gone down. "Yes, Grandma. They were a big help."

Jane smiled at Karin. "Thank you. I know this was hard for you."

A thin trail of blood flowed from Karin's hand as she finished cleaning up. "Yes, but it was worth it. You saw who did this to you, didn't you?"

"It was Charles Meade and Dawn Chamberlain. They didn't like the questions I was asking, and I obviously got too close to something. I think they killed Henry Chamberlain too."

Karin nodded. "That is correct. I shared my visions with you."

Cassie wasn't sure she believed what she was hearing. "Do I have these abilities too?"

Rob interjected. "All the Balcoins do. Karin has the most, but with your heritage, you'll surpass us all someday."

Cassie was sure the O of her mouth was a perfect flytrap. "And what if I don't want to?"

Karin came forward and touched her shoulder. "It has chosen you, Cassie. You can't turn away from it."

That was pretty much what Adam had told her after chem class on that day when she'd shattered beakers, so it must be true. With a feigned smile, she thanked the Balcoins and breathed a sigh of relief when they left her and her grandmother at peace.


	27. Chapter 27

27

Adam missed Cassie with an ache that felt like someone had scooped out his insides and strung him up. He knew her reasons for staying away, but it ate at him. Most of his texts went unanswered, until the day she finally answered:

_Grandma came through fine. Will talk soon._

Her cryptic nature was not what he was used to, nor was her penchant for acting on impulse. And then there was the way she looked up to Jake like a magic Messiah, which also bugged the crap out of him. It had gotten way out of hand at Nick's wake, and he didn't want to go there ever again. When he was with Diana, he'd always said he wasn't that guy-until he was. This breakup had unearthed his primal side, and he wasn't sure he liked it.

His Dad still apologized for telling Diana what was written in the stars, and had tried to redeem himself with that completely awkward birthday party. Diana had been totally sweet, but her smile was forced and he could see what this was costing her. Cassie had abstained, and that hurt the most. When Diana's cookies tumbled out of the cupboard, he almost ran after her but slapped himself mentally. And then, like something from a dream, he saw Cassie at the front door.

"Hey," Adam said, swinging open the door. Her face was white and drawn, and she moved shakily to one of the bar stools.

"So what's on special?" Cassie said.

"Fresh coffee and clam chowder?" That had pretty much been his supper for the last three days. Karin had called to say she was ill, so Ethan had spent the whole time moping and eating Dinty Moore from the can. Somehow, he managed to keep the booze at arm's length, which seemed like a miracle until Adam caught the whiff of a spell. It seemed Karin had acted to help his Dad, and showed an unexpected side to her that spoke of compassion.

"Sure." Cassie picked at the counter with a coffee stirrer.

"So Karin and Rob pulled it off."

"Mmm, seems that way."

Adam passed her a bowl and she dug into it with gusto. "When's the last time you ate?"

Cassie's brow furrowed slightly. "This morning...I think."

Damn, this malaise was catching. "You too? What's going on, Cassie? First Karin, and then my Dad is down for the count."

She lowered her spoon. "It's the Balcoin crystal."

"What?"

"Karin said it's the embodiment of Francis Balcoin's power."

Adam dug his fingers into his scalp. "And they used that on your grandmother?"

Cassie nodded. "She seems fine. Jake says there's always a kickback from dark magic."

"Jake says?" Adam echoed with gritted teeth.

"He brought donuts and coffee this morning."

"And just showed up without calling first?"

"Adam, he's our neighbor, and he's been helping us out."

Adam bit his tongue. "I want to help too."

Cassie looked around at the unbussed tables. "Looks like you have your hands full here. Want a hand?"

That was the last thing he expected of her, but it seemed to energize her. With a faint smile, Cassie donned an apron and started moving swiftly around with a bus tray. When they met in the aisle, he said, "You've done this before."

She grinned. "What gave it away?"

Her smile was infectious, and he grinned back. "You're making me look bad here."

Cassie finished two tables to his one. "That's not hard."

"_Hey_," he said as if in protest, his heart leaping at this unexpected camaraderie, something he hadn't felt with her in months.

They carted the dishes to the kitchen and started loading the dishwasher. Cassie took larger items over to the sink and went to town on the pots. Within an hour, everything was spotless and he could finally breathe a sigh of relief. He poured coffee for both of them and joined her at the bar. "So I heard about Karin's cousin."

She took a sip and looked out the window. "Karin thinks my father was behind it."

"What do you think?"

Cassie shrugged. "Maybe she's right, but it hardly matters. Rissa is still dead."

"And the police still have your Book of Shadows?"

This question seemed to pain her. "It came back today. Half the pages are ripped or missing."

Adam reached over and took her hand. "God, Cassie, I'm sorry."

She looked down at their joined hands for a long pause. "So am I, Adam."

He suddenly realized she was referring to something else. "It's OK, I understand."

Her blue eyes met his and nearly blinded him with the brilliance of unshed tears. "It's _not_ OK. I shouldn't have pushed you away."

Adam got to his feet and gathered her in a hug. She grabbed his shirt front with her fists and buried her face against him. When she looked up at him, her face was streaked silver with diamantine drops, reminding him forcibly of that day in the forest. And just as before in her kitchen, Cassie took the lead and pulled him down to her level. When their lips met, he was nearly undone as a jolt of pure energy blazed between them. At some point, they came up for air and he led her behind the counter, through the double doors, and down the stairs to his room. When she saw his neatly made bed, a smile curled her lips. "Hospital corners," was all she said before dragging him down on top of her.


	28. Chapter 28

28

_We must play our lives like soldiers in the field __  
><em>_But life is short i'm running faster all the time __  
><em>_Strength and beauty destined to decay __  
><em>_So cut the rose in full bloom _

_Love Like Blood, Lyrics by Killing Joke_

_Note: Please note the rating change. This section is decidedly racier than anything I've touched on in previous chapters. _

Their joining had been truly magical, and probably inevitable. The first time was hard and furious, limbs splaying as they gave in to their passion, never making it to the bed. It hadn't taken long to rekindle the flame, and that time she'd hung over him, long hair trailing down his chest like seaweed. He was on her and in her, tasting and touching her as he worked his way from head to toe. And when he was ready again, she'd dug her heels into his back and they'd bopped vertically against his wall.

Sleep finally found them, and when she woke, it was nearly 11. Adam slept with one arm over his eyes while Cassie checked out his book collection. He favored history, science fiction, urban fantasy, and a smattering of occult books. She giggled at the Aleister Crowley tome, knowing him to be a total loon. Thankfully there was no LeVay in his library, or she'd have to hurt him. With a smile, she watched Adam while he dreamed, eyelashes fluttering and fingers clenching in and out. She wondered whether Jake was the cause, or it was something more benign. He said her name, sounding anguished and frustrated by turn.

Cassie touched his now tousled hair, noting its wave when it wasn't gelled to perfection. His lashes fanned his elegant features, and suddenly opened to reveal his brilliant eyes. "Hey," he said sleepily. "What time is it?"

"Almost midnight. I should get going."

Adam said, "Mmm, are you sure? My Dad won't mind."

Cassie found herself smiling as he rose from the covers, completely unaware of his male beauty. She savored his perfectly sculpted body, and pouted when he pulled on some clothes. "But my Grandmother will." Adam came from behind her and kissed his way down her neck, hands sliding from her waist and hitching upward.

"Sure I can't convince you?" Adam murmured, tongue swirling around her ear while one hand dropped lower, tracing her zipper and applying exquisite pressure.

Cassie moaned deep in her throat as he knelt before her, teeth pulling downward until she was open to him. "N-nope," she stammered as he worked his magic at her core. Her toes curled when that final swirl sent her spiraling, hands clenching his shoulders as she mixed his name with a few "Oh, Gods".

And as she returned to Earth, he kissed her slowly, building to deeper, penetrating kisses that shattered her soul. "Still want to leave?"

Her only answer was a smile as she got dressed. "Nope. See you in the morning."

He laughed. "Umm, it is morning...so stay."

"Maybe next time," Cassie said, slinging her bag over her shoulder. She followed him out into the dark, knowing that she'd always follow wherever he led.


	29. Chapter 29

29

Karin was shocked by how awful she looked. She knew the Balcoin crystal was bad news, but she hadn't realized how toxic it really was until this last ritual. Her hair was a rat's nest, and she looked a decade older. Purple bruises ringed her eyes like raccoon kohl. Her beet red skin looked like she'd lost ten rounds with the sun. With a sigh, she mentally reviewed the events and knew they'd had no choice.

Rob had pieced together spells from numerous pagan religions to come up with a recipe to help Jane, for a simple reversal would not repair the damage. The worst part of the spell was the small bit she had chanted, and it still gave her a migraine to think about what those words really meant.

Her brother had been asleep for ten hours, and probably would not awaken for another twelve. He seemed to shrug off the darkness like it was all in a day's work. That talent did not extend to her. Sleep eluded her, and every last second of that ritual weighed on her.

Karin had spent hours praying, but no one seemed to be listening. With a muttered curse, she threw down her cross and headed for the coffee pot. Before she could pour another cup, the doorbell rang.

It was too early for company, so it must be someone she'd rather avoid. She cracked open the door to see Adam staring back at her. "Why are you here?" she asked.

His eyes widened when Karin opened the door further to let him in. "My Dad was worried."

"And he couldn't drive here himself?"

"He has a business to run, remember?"

"Right." She walked to the kitchen and motioned toward the coffee. "Help yourself."

Karin grabbed two mugs and set them down while Adam poured. "So tell me about this crystal."

She shook her head. "It's bad news. Try another topic."

"Cassie said you intend to give her the crystal."

It sounded like an accusation. "That was the plan."

"It's a bad idea. Look what it's done to you and Rob."

"You're right, but it's her legacy."

Adam scowled. "I don't give a damn about that. If you try to pass that crystal along, I will stop you."

The bluish green glow of his eyes was just like Ethan's when he got fired up. "I'm not sure you can."

"Really? _Watch _me."

Karin held up her hands with a sigh. "I don't want to fight, Adam. You're right about the crystal, but Cassie may decide she wants it."

"She doesn't."

"You talked to her after the ritual?"

The flush in his cheeks gave him away. "Umm, yeah, like you didn't know already."

Karin shook her head. "I had no idea."

Adam's brow furrowed. "How can that be? You know everything about us."

"It's all gone." She made a poof with her fingers before sucking down half her coffee.

"For how long?" Adam said.

She shrugged. "No idea."

"Does this always happen?" He sounded panicked, obviously thinking about the impact on Cassie and the circle.

"Sometimes." She'd never worked with the Balcoin crystal before, though Rob had intimate knowledge of its inner workings.

"Will it come back?" Adam looked like he almost cared, and it struck a chord deep down, making her think of a long ago boy who was obsessed with Amelia Blake.

"Probably."

"And if it doesn't?"

Karin offered a tight smile. "Then I'm free."

Adam touched her arm. "Take care of yourself, Karin. And maybe you could call my Dad so he'll stop fretting?"

Now her grin was a real one. "I can do that."

Karin watched him hightail it to his truck through the rain and suddenly knew what she had to do, even if it killed her.


	30. Chapter 30

30

Faye returned the crystal to her Mom's room before it was discovered missing. She'd enjoyed her brief feeling of power before realizing the Circle didn't give a damn. Everyone was so up in arms about recent events that they could think of nothing else. The irony wasn't lost on her, since no one wanted to discuss said events either. Only Jake seemed unscathed, reveling in whatever secret knowledge he had.

He finally showed his face on Tuesday after school, blocking her driveway with his beat up truck. "Ask me how I knew about the crystal."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm sick of your mind games. Either tell me, or get the hell out of my way."

Jake snickered. "I saw Dawn sneaking around Cassie Blake's bedroom."

Faye's breath hitched in her throat. "See? You and Nick did have something in common. You're both perverts."

The wattage in his smile dimmed slightly. "I'm always looking out for Cassie. It's my job."

"Bet the tips suck."

Jake looked only mildly annoyed. "That crystal doesn't belong to you. We have to return it."

"_We_ don't have to do anything."

"You know it's the right thing to do, Faye," Jake stated, admonishing her with his index finger.

"Since when have I ever done the right thing?" The fact that she had something over Cassie Blake was enough reason for celebration. She practically purred as she flashed a triumphant smile.

"I'm asking nice, Faye. My next request won't be so friendly."

Faye grinned. "I can hardly wait."

"Go ahead and laugh...while you can," Jake said, flashing an even bigger smile before jumping in his truck and driving off.

Faye barely got her car in the garage when her Mom drove in. "Was that Jake Armstrong?" Dawn asked in surprise.

"Maybe."

"You two aren't back together, I hope?" Her Mom had never liked or trusted Jake, and with good reason.

She started laughing. "Not a chance."

Dawn wasn't letting her off the hook. "So why was he here?"

"Just trying to stir up trouble."

Faye wasn't about to get into it with her Mom, and to avoid further questions, she grabbed her backpack and ran into the house.

* * *

><p>Cassie wasn't sure she was ready to out her and Adam to the masses. Diana was obviously still upset about the breakup, and the last thing Cassie wanted was to rub her nose in it. So she and Adam waited until everyone had left school before slipping out to his truck for an extended make out session. His hands and lips seemed to be everywhere, and she laughed when she felt his teeth on her neck. "Not there," she warned.<p>

"Mmm, how about here?" He unbuttoned her top three buttons and buried his face in her cleavage.

She gasped when he unhooked her and slid his hands up her abdomen. "I...umm...think maybe we should table this."

Cassie moaned as his head moved from side to side, sampling her wares with wet swipes of his tongue. "_Kinky_," he murmured. "What kind of table do you have in mind?"

"The b-bar?" A laugh worked its way out as he exposed her completely to him.

Adam looked down at her with a sweet smile, his eyes dazed with lust. "God, you're so beautiful."

Cassie reached up and traced his gorgeous lips. "So are you."

A slight flush warmed his cheeks as he wrapped her hair around one hand. "I like where this is going. Tell me more."

She smiled and wrapped her arms around him. "We'll have to continue this later."

"Ooh, I like the sound of that. When can I collect my rain check?"

"How about tonight after your shift?"

Adam touched her forehead with his. "I'll hold you to that."

"Count on it."


	31. Chapter 31

31

Karin's next visitor was an investigator from the state police. "Ma'am, I'd like to ask you a few questions about your cousin."

He looked like a faded version of Indiana Jones, only without the silly hat. "Please come in."

"I understand your brother lives with you."

She nodded. "He's sleeping. Do you need to speak with him?"

"Not right now. We got his statement the other night when he found the body."

_A hunter found her. __It looks like she jumped__._

Karin pretended nothing was awry. "Would you like some coffee, Detective Smith?"

Smith nodded, and she wondered what his game really was. When his back was turned, she added an herb to the mix and handed him a steaming mug. "Smells good," he said with a grim smile.

"So why are you here? I told the Chance Harbor police everything I know."

Smith yawned. "There were some odd things about the case. For example, the positioning of the body did not suggest a fall."

That was news to her. "Really? Then why did the coroner release the body?"

"Because there were no signs of trauma, or anything amiss."

"Was she screened for toxins?"

"Yes, ma'am. Other than some alcohol, they found nothing."

"Interesting. So what do you think happened?"

Smith's eyes were closing and he blinked it away. "I think she was killed elsewhere, then dumped there to make it look like an accident."

"Rissa had no enemies, Detective." Except for a very dead witch who wanted her power.

"That's what your brother said."

Smith stood up and offered his hand. "Thanks for your time. I'll call you if I get any new leads."

Karin took his hand, and watched him stumble near the door. He fumbled for the doorknob, but never made it outside. Before he fell, she caught him and dragged him to the couch. She arranged him carefully, then snapped his photo with her phone. A wallet search revealed nothing, so she called in a favor with her friend Lois at the State Police barracks. Lois was a witch from Rob's old coven, and always had her ear to the ground.

"Hey, do you know a detective named Frederick Smith?"

"Never heard of him. Why do you ask?"

"He's here in my house, asking about Rissa. Want me to send his photo?"

"Sure. I can ask around."

"Thanks, Lo." Karin didn't have to remind her friend to keep this quiet. She emailed the photo and knew she'd have an answer within the hour. When Smith woke up from his beauty sleep, he wouldn't remember a thing.

* * *

><p>Adam was about to head out to Cassie's when his Dad flagged him down. "Son, we need to talk."<p>

"Sure. What's going on?"

"It's about you and Cassie Blake."

His Dad had never once lectured him about his extracurricular activities with Diana, so he wondered what was up. "What about it?"

"I know you were together last night."

Damn, so his Dad _had_ heard them. "So what?"

"Aren't you moving a little too fast? You haven't even gone out on a date."

Wow, so that's what this was about. "Don't worry, Dad. We'll get around to it."

Ethan touched his arm. "I know you will. It's just...it happened the same way with Amelia, and look how that turned out."

Adam pursed his lips. "Yeah, well, I'm not you, Dad, OK?"

He tried to move off, but his Dad still blocked the way. "Be careful, Adam. Cassie Blake is nothing like Diana."

He wasn't sure how to take that, so he decided to let it pass. "I got it. Can I go now?"

Ethan moved to one side, but offered one last comment. "Jane Blake is home, Adam. Be on your best behavior."

* * *

><p>Karin watched her brother sleep and knew she could scream and he still wouldn't stir. She went straight for his briefcase and found the paper fragments from the spells he'd cobbled together for Jane. She stuffed those in her pocket, then snuck over to the safe he kept in the floor. She dialed the combo from memory, and it sprang open silently. The Balcoin crystal was at the bottom, wrapped in silk and warded with a protection spell. She might not have any power, but she still remembered the words to break Rob's protection. The Latin words burned her tongue as she uttered them mutely, smirking in satisfaction when his wards fell away with a nearly audible snap. She grabbed the crystal, barely feeling its usual effect, but still sensitive enough to sense its presence.<p>

She placed the stone inside her backpack and jumped in her car. If she put enough miles between her and Rob, she might have a chance. She drove down to the marina and jumped on the ferry to the mainland. When they skirted Warren Island, she got off at that stop. The tiny village was stuffed full of witches, most of them long time friends of hers. She stopped at Crowhaven Road and looked down its long length, wondering if Adam and Cassie realized it had all started here. Karin walked to its very end, and found the graveyard where Francis Balcoin was interred. She approached his vault, and walked its four corners, first in one direction and then the other. She stopped at the north side, and pushed aside some sand. With her portable shovel, she dug deep and dropped in the crystal. With silent words, she warded the spot with one of Francis's own spells, long ago memorized from his Book of Shadows. Any of the Balcoins could perform simple spells, even the ones without magic. And this spell was simple enough that Rob would overlook it.

Karin walked down to the village and entered the last shop on Dead End Lane. Ignoring the fortune teller's sign saying she'd be back in ten minutes, she ducked her head through beaded curtains and made her way to the kitchen. Her friend Deidre sat sipping on green tea, and offered up the kettle to Karin. As she poured, she said, "I need a healer."

"And a translator?" Dee guessed, staring at the scraps of paper in Karin's hand.

"That too."

She watched Dee's face as she read, knowing in her gut what Dee confirmed a moment later. "Rob stole your magic."

Karin echoed the words. "Stole. Not borrowed?"

Dee said, "Nope. This is an extraction spell. He waited until you opened yourself up, and then invoked it."

"And my other senses?"

Dee took her hand. "I can fix that today. The rest will take time."

Karin sighed. "Time is something I don't have. Can you get the others on board?"

Her friend looked at her like she'd grown horns. "You seriously expect the coven to turn against its high priest?"

"Yes. Once they know the truth, they won't hesitate."

"And which truth is that?"

"That John Blackwell has invaded my brother's body...for _keeps_."

"They'll want proof."

"They won't accept my word?"

"Maybe in the old days, but you're a Christian now, and an outsider."

Like she needed a reminder. "Will you come and observe?"

Deirdre nodded. "Yes. He will awaken tonight. Once I confirm your suspicions, we must act swiftly and decisively. Will that be a problem?"

Karin had no qualms about the path she had set out on. "None whatsoever."

"Then so it shall be." With that, Dee took her hand and began the long process of healing the damage to her psyche.


	32. Chapter 32

32

**Note**: For those who have read the books, I am well aware that Crowhaven Road is in Massachusetts, or somewhere near there, but I wanted to bring it into the mix for my own purposes. It's not called an AU story for nothing. Same goes for the shade of John Blackwell, which is the form he's in within the books.

Cassie knew when Adam arrived. It was a feeling more than anything, and when she opened the door, his hand was poised to ring the bell. "Hey," he said softly.

"We have company." Cassie nodded back toward the kitchen.

She heard her grandmother's boot heels a moment later. "Adam, good to see you. Are you staying for dinner?"

Adam was thin as a rail, and though he'd probably eaten already, this was her grandmother's attempt to put some meat on him. "I...sure," he said with a shy smile.

"Great. Come help us set the table. It's chicken pot pie tonight."

Cassie smiled at Adam. "We have that every Tuesday," she said, rolling her eyes a little for dramatic effect.

He chuckled. "That beats Dinty Moore any day."

Jane overheard them. "Is that what Ethan's been feeding you? I'll have to chat with that boy."

That made them both laugh, and they followed Jane into the dining room. In short order, the table was set and fresh flowers were arranged in Jane's favorite blue vase. "There," Jane said. "Now everything is perfect."

And so it was, until the moment when Karin Balcoin arrived and interrupted their delicious dinner with news about her brother Rob.

* * *

><p><em>Leave Them All Behind<em>

_Wheels turning around  
>Into alien grounds<br>Pass through different times  
>Leave them all Behind<em>

_Leave them all Behind, Lyrics by Ride_

Adam merely sighed when Karin doused their happy camaraderie with her grim demeanor. But after she went through her suspicions, and what actions she had taken, Jane said, "We'll help you, Karin. Just tell us when and where and we'll be there."

If he got the gist of it, Rob would probably not survive. "Is that a good idea?" Adam was speaking to all of them, but the question was really for Cassie's grandmother.

"It's the only way," Jane said. "I'll contact the Elders, and see how many will join us."

Karin nodded her thanks. "I appreciate that."

Adam watched her carefully, and noticed her color was back. Her dark eyes were sparkling, and she seemed content, despite the circumstances. As she got up to leave, he touched her hand and nearly fell back at the rush of images swarming at him like angry bees. In rapid succession, Adam saw people dressed in clothes from Puritan times, but none shone more brightly than the sloe eyed witch with hair like living flame. Her companion had teal eyes like bits of agate, and it was like staring at his own reflection. Then she pulled her hand away, and the connection was lost. The moment had lasted a split second, but it seemed like an eternity before he regained his composure and followed her to the door. "_Who_ are you?"

Her dark eyes took him in. "An original resident of Crowhaven Road."

His mouth opened slightly as she walked down the front walk. With a ragged sigh, he started to turn back but was met by Jane. "Don't let that scare you, Adam. She's here for all the right reasons."

"You actually trust her?" Adam asked, so confused by what he'd seen that he was starting to doubt himself.

Jane nodded. "She put herself on the firing line, and nearly died to save me. So yes, I trust her with my life."

Cassie listened to Adam's tale with wide eyes. "So what is she, a time traveler?"

He shrugged. "No idea. Maybe she was reborn."

Jane served up hot apple pie. "None of the above."

The ice cream melted over her crust. She dug in and finally asked, "Is it a spell?"

"Yes, she used very old magic to be with us."

"How can that be?" Adam asked. "Nobody knows magic like that."

"It's a lost art, Adam. I believe she is the last of her kind who remembers the old ways."

"What about her brother?" Cassie asked.

Jane looked at her thoughtfully. "Strictly 20th century."

"And this person called Karin Balcoin? Does she even exist?" Cassie finished up her pie and wondered if she could sneak another piece.

Adam said, "The resemblance to Cassie is more than a coincidence."

"So you've noticed that," Jane replied. "Yes, Karin is very real. She's just being ridden by someone else."

"_Ridden_?" Cassie and Adam echoed in unison.

"Another term for possession. Only this happened at birth, before Karin was even aware of it."

Cassie sat back in her chair, completely stunned by her grandmother's revelations. "Why didn't you say anything before?"

"Because you weren't ready."

"And you think I am now?" Her skin was crawling right now, and she wanted to distance herself from it all.

"Maybe not, but it's time you knew."

And that was all Jane offered as they finished dessert and helped her clean up. When the kitchen was finally closed, Jane said, "Well, I have the late shift tonight. Don't wait up for me."

* * *

><p>Adam watched the moonlight play on Cassie's lovely face as she slept, dreams unburdened by anything but pure happiness. She said his name a few times and even held his hand, which touched his already smitten heart. They'd flirted and wrestled and ended up twisted in fierce passion. And then they slept for half the night before Adam's eyes fluttered open, feeling strangely comforted by the stars revolving on the ceiling. He felt like the room approved of him, and even sensed a murmur from Amelia Blake. Her gentle presence was like a mote of dust floating in the sunlight, no more than a whisper and the touch of her hand on his shoulder. "Take care of her," was all she whispered before her essence evaporated.<p>

Cassie moved in her sleep and dug her hands into his arm. "Mom, don't go." Her plaintive cry tore at him and he wrapped her in his arms. Tears rained on his face as Cassie wept, coming to full alertness with a shudder. "What happened?"

"Your Mom was here." Adam could hardly believe what he was saying, but he knew it was true.

"Did she say anything?"

He inhaled her sweet scent. "Told me to take care of you."

"And will you?" Cassie touched his face and her gaze seemed to sear right through him.

"Always." And knowing what she needed, Adam showed Cassie exactly that with every fiber of his being.

* * *

><p>Karin got a booty call from Ethan and smiled at his obvious ploy to get her down to the marina. She was feeling well enough to participate, and laughed when he jumped her on the dock. They fell into the boat laughing and finished with a bang. Ethan pulled a blanket over them and nuzzled her neck. "I missed you, K."<p>

"I missed you too."

"So what's going on with your brother?"

She told him all of it, not even leaving out the part about Adam tripping over the truth. "They all know, Ethan."

"And they're all on your side."

"But I've been living under false pretenses."

"Not anymore." He brushed wayward curls away from her face and kissed her brow.

"There's no going back."

Ethan twined his fingers with hers. "And why would you want to, Karin? There's nothing left for you there."

She marveled at the way their bodies meshed. "There was someone long ago...one of the original Conants."

Even under starlight, she could see the question in his eyes. "And did he spurn you for one of the Blake women?"

"Of course."

"Then he was a fool. I won't make that mistake."

"Damn straight you won't."

His laugh streaked through her like a falling star, but she was resolute. "You can't be involved with this, Eth."

"But my son can? How does that work?"

Her sigh was swept away by the sea breeze. "Adam has the power you never had. He and Cassie are the chosen ones."

"Empty words. What do they even mean?"

She closed her eyes and recited the old legend. "It's been written, that a Blake and a Conant will unite all our clans, for all eternity."

"And after that?"

"Nobody knows."

* * *

><p>Faye was watching late night TV when she heard a faint tapping at the front door. With a muffled curse, she flung open the door and frowned at a smirking Jake. "Can't stay away, can you?"<p>

"Don't flatter yourself, Faye. I'm here for the crystal."

"Is this your way of being less friendly?" She put hands on hips and barely let him squeeze by.

"Hardly. I saw your Mom go out and thought I'd pay you a visit."

"Did you now? Without even calling first? Where are your manners?"

Jake sauntered up close and gave her the onceover. "Nice top." His blue eyes lingered on her chest before returning to her face.

"Pig. You don't get the prize until you give me what I want."

He gave her that cocky half smile that turned her legs to rubber. "Where do you want it?"

God, she was going to die before this was over. "Right here, right now."

He made no effort to hide his arousal. "Suit yourself," he said, sliding his belt out of its loops and letting it slither to the floor. His jacket and shirt followed before he scooped her in his arms and started kissing her hungrily. She returned his kiss with equal fervor, and levered his lips open with her hungry tongue. His hands ripped at her top, shredding it from her body as he took her on the floor, followed by the stairs and finally in her bed, which was just where he belonged.

* * *

><p>Karin was strolling the dock when she saw Adam returning home. "Nice night," she commented idly.<p>

His hands were deep in his pockets as he strode over to her. "Sure is."

She could feel the question burning inside him. "Your Dad know everything, Adam. He's always known."

"And you know all his secrets too."

"I believe so."

"So tell me."

Adam needed truth like a fish needs water. "It's not my secret to tell."

"He'll never tell me."

"Not now, but maybe someday."

"Like when hell freezes over?"

She appreciated his sarcasm, even in the face of his angst. "He's afraid of losing you."

"That will never happen."

Karin strolled a few more paces. "You may be right, but that story belongs to Ethan. And I will never betray him."

Adam stopped her forward motion by stepping in front of her. "You loved the original Conant, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"But he didn't love you back."

She'd shared everything with Adam. "It was always about the Blakes."

"And that's why you're here, isn't it?" Adam's guess wasn't far from the mark. "You did it for love."

Karin hung her head in memory. "For a love never shared, yes. Luck has never been mine."

Adam touched her shoulder. "Looks like your luck has changed."

She smiled. "Perhaps it has."

* * *

><p>Faye heard her mother come home sometime after midnight. The crystal was already in her clutches, and she had no desire to give it back, either to its original owner or her thieving, murderous parent. "What's so great about this thing anyway?" she asked Jake.<p>

"If it's active, it magnifies your power."

"Even if it doesn't belong to you?" Faye could only imagine what Cassie would do when she found out.

"Even if. These crystals are generally fine-tuned by their owners, so Cassie would get far more out of it than you."

"Good to know." She liked the way the light shone on it, and turned it over in her hand. Suddenly she saw something flash in one of its facets and almost swore she saw a face. "J-Jake, I thought I saw something."

He smirked. "Maybe it was Cassie's mother."

She sat up in bed. "What the hell are you saying?"

Jake leaned on one elbow. "That sometimes these stones are imbued with the essence of their owner."

Now Faye was totally creeped out; she tossed the crystal at him. "Here, take it. I'm done with it."

He shook his head. "Thought you wanted to taunt Cassie with it."

"Been there. Done that."

"What will your Mom say when she finds it gone?"

She watched him dress. "Don't care. She can never make up for what she's done."

"Maybe she had good reason."

Her sudden anger roared out of her and pushed him back against the wall. "Don't you ever say that again, or I swear, I'll kill you."

Jake freed himself easily. "Empty threats, Faye. Don't say it unless you mean it."

Faye pulled on her T-shirt and marched over to him. "Do I look like I'm kidding?" She cocked her head at him and glared for all it was worth.

He merely smiled and put on his coat. "No, but you do look hot." And with a final smirk, he snuck out the back door before Dawn figured out what was going on.


	33. Chapter 33

33

Karin and Dee were watching an old movie when Rob made his appearance. "There you are," he said, stretching his arms overhead as he strolled through the den like a male lion.

She said, "You were down for two days."

"And you?" Rob bit into an apple and perched on the edge of a chair.

"Near death."

A smirk ghosted across his face before Rob's usual dourness took over. "Where's the crystal, Karin?"

Wow, he wasn't playing around. She and Dee exchanged glances and she knew her friend believed her. "In a safe place."

"Take me there," he demanded.

"When the time is right." His features shifted before her eyes and she suppressed a shudder.

"Now is the time."

Karin walked over to him. "Don't worry. It will be soon."

"It better be." As he brushed past her, she nearly keeled over as the stench of evil permeated her senses.

She looked at Dee and said, "Tomorrow night. Will that be enough time?"

Dee nodded. "I'll alert the others. We'll meet you at 11:30. Don't be late."

* * *

><p>Cassie hustled Adam out the door a moment before Jane returned from work. Thinking she had pulled it off, she moved toward the door and was stopped by Jane's soft but commanding voice. "Was that Adam I saw driving away from here?"<p>

A bunch of excuses came to mind, but she stuck to the truth. "Yes, he stayed the night."

Jane folded her arms. "Really? So his Dad was OK with that?"

She tapped her toe nervously. "Maybe. Look, can we talk about this later? I'll be late if I don't head out."

Her grandmother's eyes twinkled slightly. "I expect you home at 3. Can you manage that?"

"Sure." Maybe she could squirrel herself away up at Briar Hill until dinner time.

Cassie was almost out the door when Jane said, "Don't even thinking about going up to that house."

Damn, she was busted six ways to Sunday. "I won't. Bye, Grandma."

She got behind the wheel and waved, not thrilled to be caught out but real happy her grandmother was back to her old self.

* * *

><p>Adam rushed home to change and shower and managed to run out the door before his Dad caught up with him. He sensed things were about to go down, and lying low was his best option.<p>

With muffin and coffee in hand, he jumped in his truck and started to back up before realizing Jake was blocking his way. With a scowl, he rolled down his window. "What the hell do you want?"

"Want to try that again, lover boy?" He opened his palm and Adam gaped at the crystal. "Considering what I went through to get this, you could show a little gratitude."

"Where did you get that?" he asked hoarsely.

"Does it matter?" Jake tossed the crystal from one hand to another. "It was stolen, and I want to return it to its rightful owner."

Adam cocked his head. "Is this Cassie's crystal?"

"Sure is, and considering that you've practically moved in, I thought you could give it to her."

He flushed slightly at the innuendo in Jake's voice. "Umm...sure."

Adam held out his hand but Jake shook his head. "Not so fast, Conant. You can't tell her where this came from."

That was fine with him. With a curt nod, he said, "Will you hand it over already? I have a test first period."

Jake snickered and muttered something about a tool. "Here. Try not to blow anything up."

Adam glared at him before pocketing the crystal and racing off.


	34. Chapter 34

34

Karin's friend Lois called her back, just as she'd expected.

"There is no Fred Smith from the Washington State Police."

"Did anyone recognize him?" Karin asked, munching on a banana while she gathered the ingredients for John Blackwell's comeuppance.

"Yes. He's been seen with Eben and Isaac," Lois said.

Dread crept into her heart with the big paws of a roaring tiger. "A witch hunter, here? Why?"

"They obviously know something's up."

Which meant they had a scryer on board. "I thought we put the fear of God in them."

Lois's chuckle held no humor. "Guess not, but maybe we can add a chaser to the spell."

Karin's forehead started to throb. "I'll see what I can do." There was only one way, and it meant unearthing Francis Balcoin's grimoire; just the thought of touching it made her queasy.

"Better make it quick. We're running out of time."

She hung up and before turning back to mixing ingredients, the doorbell rang. Karin wondered if the fake cop was back, but when she opened the door, Jake Armstrong was smirking at her. "I thought it was time we met."

Karin blocked the door. "Why?"

"Because I want in."

"What are you talking about?"

"Playing dumb doesn't suit you." Jake shouldered past her and made himself at home at her kitchen table.

* * *

><p>Faye watched Diana and Cassie move to opposite ends of the corridor, like they were squaring off for battle. Adam walked into the middle of their staring contest and completely pissed off Diana when he walked over to Cassie and kissed her cheek. "I see you finally had the stones to make a move," Faye commented as she sidled up to them, breaking up their mutual admiration society as the unwanted third wheel.<p>

"Shut up, Faye," Adam said with very little heat. "You can't ruin my good mood today."

"Care to make a wager on that?" Faye said to no one in particular.

"Don't test me." Adam leaned against a bank of lockers with an eye roll.

Faye clapped a hand on Cassie's shoulder. "Did he give you the crystal yet?" Her whisper was loud enough for Diana and Melissa to overhear.

Cassie stepped back into the protective circle of Adam's arms. "What are you talking about?"

Adam dug his fingers into his pocket and handed over the purloined crystal. "Jake returned it to me."

Cassie's lips tightened. "Why didn't you return it the other night, Faye?"

Faye looked at the ceiling before returning her attention to Cassie. "I didn't see your name on it, and besides, I wanted a shot at my own solo magic."

Adam smirked. "And how's that working for you?"

Her little plan to show up Cassie was tanking. With a snarl, Faye slammed her locker shut and stalked off in the opposite direction, not even stopping to let Melissa catch up.

* * *

><p>Jake continued to stare as Karin finished her preparations. "You need all this to get rid of a ghost?"<p>

"It's a bit more complicated than that."

"Of course it is." His indigo eyes surveyed her surroundings. "Nice digs for a sassy librarian."

Karin offered a half smile. "I like to play the market."

That made him laugh. "Want to cut me in on some action?"

She found herself liking him, despite what she knew about him. "Not that kind."

He offered his palm. "So what do you see?"

"Plenty." She sipped at her tea and let his energy seep into hers. "Tell me about Calvin and Simone."

A muscle worked in his jaw. "That was collateral damage."

"Oh, is that what we're calling it?"

"Like you've never killed anyone." His offhand manner was deeply disturbing.

Karin shook her head. "_Never_."

"You expect me to believe that?" Jake waved his hand at the dark collection of books on magic and spellcraft.

"I don't care _what _you believe." She finished binding the herbs needed for her part of the spell. "Why are you really here, Jake?"

His eyes darkened. "You're a Balcoin, and you know John Blackwell, so you must know who his children are."

So now they came down to it. "_Perhaps_. What it's to you?"

His fingers snaked out and grabbed her wrist. "I _have _to know. Is it me?"

Jake was never part of her plan, and she wouldn't let him get in the way. "_Maybe_."

He let go of her and stood up, raking fingers through his dark blonde hair. "I don't believe you. My Mom would never have...you're lying so Adam will stay with Cassie."

Jake was far smarter than she'd given him credit for. "You may be right, but you'll never know for sure. Now if you don't mind, I have work to do."

He moved to the door and turned back for a moment. "For your sake, I hope you're not lying to me."

Karin ignored the threat, knowing she could squash him like a bug if push came to shove. She fully expected her powers to return, and when they did, it was open season on anyone who got in her way. "Don't let the door hit you," she said with a fake smile as he made his exit.


	35. Chapter 35

35

Note: Sorry this is short. I am really busy of late and don't see that changing. I am also very discouraged by the show's low ratings, and the lack of support for Adam and Cassie. I am tired of people dissing Thomas Dekker's performance as I feel he is very good. So, sorry to be down in the dumps. It doesn't make the best bedfellow for writing. Off to watch Vampire Diaries and brood.

* * *

><p>Diana was waiting for Adam after their chem class. "What are you and Cassie up to, Adam?" she asked, lowering her voice as Faye and Melissa passed.<p>

Adam gave her a sideways glance and stopped at his locker. "Nothing special."

"Really, so what's all the whispering about? You two are obviously up to something, and leaving the Circle out of it."

He felt inwardly relieved. "It's related to Blackwell, and it's dangerous."

"Isn't it always?" Diana shook out her mane of glossy brown hair and for a second, he remembered what it was like to revel in it.

"Diana, this goes beyond anything we've experienced before." Adam spotted Cassie and when she saw them talking, she nodded in understanding and moved off.

"Which is all the more reason for including us." Pain and betrayal flashed in Diana's beautiful eyes.

"It's not up to me, Diana. This is Karin Balcoin's show."

"Adam, Blackwell's presence affects all of us, and if we're out of the loop, how can we protect ourselves if he comes after us?"

She had a good point, but Blackwell had only one agenda. "He won't, Diana."

"And you know this how?"

They were approaching dangerous territory. "Because, Rob Balcoin is possessed by Blackwell himself."

"And that's supposed to reassure me? That guy is creepy on a good day."

"I know, which is why the witches of Crowhaven Road are involved."

Diana's mouth opened slightly. "Why would they even care?"

"Because Rob is their high priest, and Blackwell must be vanquished."

"By his own sister?" Her eyebrows raised in disbelief.

"And a bunch of her friends."

Diana's eyes closed for a moment, and he knew she was thinking about their own circle. "Is that how this all ends, Adam? One of us goes off the rails, and the rest of us gang up on the weak one?"

Reassuring words would be small comfort for what she was feeling now. "I don't know."

"But it may come to that someday."

Adam nodded. "It might."

Diana touched his arm briefly before hurrying off to her next class, leaving him with the stress ball she always carried around. And a fat lot of good that did him with tomorrow's ordeal looming ahead.


	36. Chapter 36

36

"I know who you are." Karin watched Rob pace back and forth while gnawing at his fingernails. This nasty habit was all John, for her brother had always taken pride in his appearance.

"Good for you," Rob said tersely. "Why are you set against me?"

This last part was so unbelievable that she laughed. "How can I not be? You killed my parents, and were responsible for those deaths 16 years ago."

"Well, technically, Sibyl, they weren't your real parents," Rob said in a reasonable tone, completely bypassing the fire on that boat.

Karin's head came up at the sound of her real name. "Thanks for that. I never would have gotten it without your help."

"Now _there's_ the Sibyl I remember," Rob said with a smirk.

"Who are you channeling this time?" At the rate at which he was acquiring personalities, she wouldn't be surprised if Francis came out to play.

"Funny girl. So you think you can beat me at my own game." Rob 's voice was cold and humorless, and she knew they were down to it.

"I don't _think_, John. I _know._" Karin tapped her forehead and closed her fingers around the carving knife she'd hidden under a napkin.

"You always were the powerful one...oh, wait, I took that from you."

_Not everything, you bastard._

Karin inclined her head. "So you did."

He grabbed an apple and straddled the chair across from her. "What are you really up to, Sibyl?"

She tested the sharpness of the blade and decided it would do in a pinch. "Nothing whatsoever." With a blank look, Karin pulled out the blade and buried its hilt in Rob's right hand. It tore through muscle and went straight to the bone. Before he could do more than howl, she added, "I'd put some ice on that if I were you."

Rob was still cursing her name as she ran out to the car and drove off, feeling slightly smug that she'd gotten the drop on him. The knife had been treated with a slow acting poison that would start to erode his powers, so when he finally confronted her at the Balcoin vault, taking him out of play would be a fair fight.

* * *

><p>Adam heard his father emoting in the background as he and Karin made pasta. "You did <em>what<em>?"

"Poisoned him."

"With what?"

"Mandrake root."

"Are you crazy? That will end him," Ethan said, concern raising his usually quiet voice to one that carried easily out to the bar.

"It's diluted, Ethan. My intent is to slow him down, not kill him."

"Why even bother, Karin? You don't have to do this."

Oh, but she did, and even Adam recognized that. "Yeah, she does." He moved to join them and started stirring the marinara sauce.

Ethan's brows raised slightly. "Son, this spell Karin wants to do...it's old, dark magic."

"That's the only way to stop Blackwell, Dad."

Worry radiated from his Dad, but Adam shrugged it off. "I don't like you getting mixed up in this, Adam."

"I'll be careful." He looked over at Karin. "And Karin will have my back."

"Will she?" Ethan looked at Karin for reassurance.

"Of course I will, along with Jane Blake and everyone from Crowhaven Road."

Ethan was nonplussed. "They agreed to help you?"

She laid down her wooden spoon and poured the pasta into a colander. "We struck a deal in 1692, Ethan. The spell was cast, and all of us came forward to the 20th century. And now it's time to pay the piper."


	37. Chapter 37

37

Karin passed the vial around and collected blood from everyone who'd agreed to help her. Midnight was approaching fast, and she felt John coming to them. It started as a vague ache and ended up as stabbing pain as he drove up. She hid the vial away and her friends melted into the trees. He couldn't know they were there, until it was too late to stop what she was about to put in motion. If her brother walked away from this, he wouldn't be the same man, and how she knew him well enough to know that losing his power would kill him.

"Where is the crystal?" The moonlight painted his face in molten silver and she shivered at her core.

"I buried it."

"Where?" This was John talking, which made it dead easy to proceed.

"With Francis."

Rob shrunk back slightly. "You can't be serious."

Karin pushed her lips into a smile. "Oh, but I am."

"Dig it up."

She felt his compulsion spell try to peel through her wards, but she was well protected by the Crowhaven witches, one Conant, a Blake, and the last Balcoin in her line. "Why should I? You have enough power, John."

The air darkened around her and she felt him trying to squeeze her into a mental fist. "It's never enough, Sibyl."

"That's where you're wrong."

Her connection with the others surged, and John stumbled back in surprise. "What have you done?"

Karin unstopped the vial and mixed it with the herbs she held in her other hand. "What I should have done a long time ago."

"W-what do you mean?" Rob looked stunned as she crushed the concoction in her left hand and swallowed it.

Karin almost choked on the blood, but the fear on his face was worth the bitter taste. "It ends here, John. You were never meant to be on this plane."

She started walking toward the cemetery, and he followed her like a trained monkey. "And you were?"

Karin turned back for a moment. "Yes, it's my destiny."

"And what do the Fates tell you?" His voice was oily and she could feel John's power pulsing in his veins.

"Verðandi says I will win."

"I always hated that bitch." The words spit at her like nails and that's when she knew her friends had shown their hand. They gathered around her and fire encircled Rob as Karin bent to retrieve the Balcoin crystal.

"Is this what you're looking for, John?" Karin could barely stand to look at it as she unfolded her palm to show it off. Fire reflected in it, and scarlet beams painted the gathered witches in rusty sepia tones.

"How dare you mock me, Sibyl. It's obvious you aren't capable of wielding that much power," Rob said, his tone darkening as his coven started chanting in Latin.

"Perhaps not, but _they_ are." Karin assembled her features into a smile and cut her palm with Rob's ceremonial dagger. Her blood dripped down into the fire ring, turning it blue and citrine as the spell started to take hold.

The crystal burned at her, but she could feel John's essence seeping into her as they yanked his shade from Rob's body. He started to crow in triumph, his banshee wail piercing through her, but the others pushed with all their might and sent John's ghost straight into the crystal. For a moment, Karin could feel the weight of Francis and John pushing back, madly scrambling to gain a foothold, but in a split second, Cassie stepped forward and grabbed the crystal. Karin felt her focus all her energy, and the crystal exploded in her hands, shards of glass flying in every direction. Cassie cried out, and fell back against Adam, who anchored her shoulders as a mighty wind howled around them.

Karin was not deterred by the elements, and when the smoke cleared, she knew it was done. "He's gone," she said with finality, before her own spell came back at her and knocked her flat.


	38. Chapter 38

38

Cassie and Jane took turns keeping watch on Karin, who was still comatose after three days. Her wraithlike appearance of pale skin and ash blonde hair did nothing to reassure them.

"Is this normal?" Cassie asked as she sipped tea with her grandmother.

Jane shrugged. "Everyone reacts differently to the aftermath of a spell. I can only say that Karin took it all on herself."

Cassie had felt that tremendous inrush of evil that was somehow diverted at the last second. "Why would she do that when we were there to help?"

"She was protecting us, just like any high priestess would do."

She had never thought of Karin that way. "But she's not...I've seen her go to church."

Her grandmother smiled. "That's her cover, don't you see? If she's seen doing good work, then the witch hunters will leave her alone."

"But they haven't." Cassie knew all about the guy disguised as a cop who'd tried to worm his way into Karin's confidence. "Her house was marked."

"Not anymore. Dee and the Crowhaven witches cleaned things up and re-established protective wards."

"Are they friends of yours, Gran?" Jane seemed to know a lot about them.

"Not in the way you think, but we all have each others' backs."

"Just like our Circle used to be," Cassie said, half musing as she wondered where everyone had gotten off to. Adam brought her homework every day after school, and Ethan brought them food from the Boathouse. But everyone else was silent, not answering texts or dropping in to visit.

Jane's clear blue eyes seemed to cut straight through to Cassie's anxiety. "It will get better, Cassie."

"What if it doesn't? Everything was great until I showed up, and then Karin threw in the final monkey wrench to ruin everything."

Her grandmother touched the top of her hand and Cassie felt a soothing heat warm her entire being. "I know it seems that way, but I promise you, things will turn around."

Jane sounded so certain that Cassie almost believed her. "I hope you're right."

"I know I am. Look at you and Adam...things are the way they were meant to be."

"Oh, really? So you believe it was written?" Cassie smiled slightly.

Jane chuckled. "Not quite, but anyone who sees you two together can have no doubt."

Cassie heard a floorboard creak and jumped out of her chair when Karin entered the kitchen. She looked between them and said, "Please tell me you've found my brother."

* * *

><p>Karin scarfed down chicken soup and grilled cheese with gusto. Then she polished off some fried chicken and a large salad before finishing it off with some of Jane's famous apple pie. "This may possibly be the best thing I've ever tasted," she said when her stomach finally stopped roiling.<p>

Jane smiled gently at her. "I'm glad you approve."

"Let me guess, old family recipe handed down through the generations?"

"Something like that."

She heard a tap at the front door and Jane escorted Ethan in. He sat down next to her and took her hand in his. "Jane called me as soon as you woke up. You're sure you're OK, Karin?"

Karin wasn't sure of anything right now. "It seems so."

"And your power?" Ethan asked.

"Gone."

"What about your...intuition?" he asked uneasily.

Karin smiled. "Still intact."

Ethan squeezed her hand. "And Rob? Have the police found any trace of him?"

"Not yet. But I'm sure he'll return when he's ready." She highly doubted that, but she couldn't throw that out there.

"And what if he doesn't?"

She shrugged. "Life goes on, and I'll get past it eventually."

Jane had left the room as they talked, but Ethan still lowered his voice. "Will you?"

Karin couldn't fool him. "I don't know, but what other choice do I have?"

Ethan wrapped his arm around her and she leaned into him, sighing into his neck as he comforted her. "Come live with us."

She pictured the cramped quarters behind the restaurant and laughed. "Crash your bachelor pad? I don't think so."

"OK, so we'll come to you."

Karin didn't want to go back to a house haunted with memories. "I have a better idea. Let's look for a new house."

Ethan's mouth opened slightly and his Adam's apple bobbed nervously. "Really? Don't you think it's too soon?"

"Too soon for what?" Jane asked as she returned to the kitchen with her watering can. She looked between them with a broad grin, her blue eyes twinkling as she watered plants on the window sill.

Karin said, "Setting up house together."

"Ah," Jane said, clearly enjoying the red creeping up Ethan's neck. "The market is soft here. You'll get a good deal."

"Exactly. What do you think, Ethan? Maybe we could go out house hunting next weekend and bring the kids along."

Ethan stood up abruptly. "I'll probably be working, but I'll check my schedule and get back to you."

He practically ran out of there and when he was out of earshot, Jane and Karin started laughing. "He doesn't know what hit him," Jane said.

Karin rested her right hand on her abdomen and said softly, "But he will all too soon."

Jane's eyes widened slightly. "Are you sure?"

She nodded, eyes closing as she sensed two faint heartbeats. "I've always known this day would come."

"And it's what you want?"

Karin sighed. "Of course it is, though I'm not sure I'm up to the task."

Jane touched her shoulder. "We're all here to guide you."

Tears burned at her eyes. "Thank you for that."

She was beyond exhausted and ready to sleep again. With a tired smile, she moved back up the stairs and curled up into a ball, letting sleep crash over her and caring about nothing but sweet oblivion.


	39. Chapter 39

39

Adam found Cassie shoving books in her locker. "My Dad visited Karin last night, and looked dazed when he returned. Did something happen?"

Cassie's grandmother had filled her in while lecturing her about sleepovers. She spotted Faye and Melissa headed toward them and said, "Not here."

He threaded his arm through hers and led her to the courtyard. "So what's going on?"

She wasn't sure how to approach this. "Umm, he kind of freaked when she mentioned house hunting."

He straightened. "Why would she do that?"

It wasn't her place to dish on Karin's condition. "You'll have to ask Karin."

"Cassie, if you know something, please tell me."

Adam touched her shoulder gently. "It's between Karin and your Dad."

He sighed in frustration. "My Dad won't talk to me, and now you won't either?"

The bell saved her from answering. "Adam, I have to go. I'll tell you what I can at lunch."

Cassie felt his eyes boring into her back as she escaped. How could she tell him about Karin's pregnancy when his own father didn't even know? It was an impossible situation and she'd somehow become the bad guy, keeping secrets from Adam and putting them at odds. She barely got to Trig before the second bell rang. Faye sat behind her and whispered, "Trouble in paradise?"

She was in no mood for Faye's snark, so she ignored her as the teacher passed out their tests. Cassie smiled at the A+ on her own paper, and sensed that Faye's grade brought the class average way down. The material didn't challenge her, so her mind drifted off while Mr. Slater droned on. Cassie moved quickly out the door when the class was dismissed, but Faye's drawling tones stopped her in midstride. "Going somewhere, Cassie? We have business to discuss."

Their next class was Chem, and there was no escaping Faye, so she waited up for her. "I doubt it."

Faye pushed her into a bank of lockers. "Don't play dumb, Cassie. Despite the blonde hair, we both know better."

"You have thirty seconds. Don't waste it."

"Where did you get a crystal?"

God, were they back to that again? "My grandmother gave it to me."

"And you didn't think to tell us about it?"

"My grandmother told me to keep it a secret, so I did."

Faye snickered. "But only when it suits you, right?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Faye leaned in. "You don't think I've seen Adam's car out front, very early in the morning?"

"And how would you know that, unless you're spying on me?"

"More like my boy toy, Jake," Faye said with a shit-eating grin.

"He wouldn't rat me out," Cassie retorted.

"Wouldn't he? He says a lot of things after we've had sex." Faye swiveled her hips slightly, the better to show off her mouth-watering curves.

"Ooh, is that supposed to bother me? I don't give a damn about your love life, Faye." And that was the whole truth, for she'd moved on ages ago.

Faye tittered. "Says Cleopatra, Queen of Denial."

Cassie rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, Faye. Now if you don't mind." She pushed Faye mentally and was inwardly pleased when Faye was shoved backward, nearly losing her balance as Cassie moved past her. By the time she got to chem, everyone was in their seats. She felt Adam's gaze from clear across the room, but kept her eyes peeled on the board. Lunch was right after this class, and she'd promised him an explanation. Maybe she could skirt the truth without giving him the full scoop.

* * *

><p>Adam and Diana were still partnered up in chem. Diana was briskly efficient, and Adam excelled at crunching formulas while she measured out chemicals. "So, I haven't seen much of you lately," Adam said.<p>

Diana gave him one of those 'are you kidding' eye rolls before turning on the Bunsen burner. "That's what happens when you're written in the stars."

He tapped his pencil in agitation. "Diana, I know you're pissed, but we have to move past this...for everyone's sake."

Diana fixed her gaze on the chemical reaction as she said, "I told you long ago that the Circle was breaking apart."

Adam sighed. "And you were right."

She jotted something in her notebook. "Doesn't matter now."

"How can you say that?" he said softly. "We can fix this."

Diana finally swiveled her head and stared at him. "There's no _we_ anymore, Adam."

The sorrow he'd felt over their breakup came roaring back to life. "Maybe not, but we _have_ to put aside our personal differences and work together."

She looked at their lab experiment. "Isn't that what we're doing?"

Adam knew further discussion was futile. "Yes, it is."

And with that, he felt another chapter of his life shutting down. He and Diana were well and truly finished, and it seemed that the Circle might be too.

* * *

><p>Cassie found a table outside that was far removed from any eavesdroppers. Adam found her easily and offered a tight smile. "I didn't like the way we left things."<p>

She hated it too. "I know you value honesty, but it's not my secret to tell."

"I get it." He nibbled at his turkey sandwich before adding, "What _can_ you tell me?"

"They were talking about moving in together, either at your place or hers."

The bread fell from Adam's hands and became lunch for some hungry sparrows. "No way."

Cassie smiled. "It kind of surprised me too."

"_Wow_, so whose idea was this?"

"Your Dad started it."

Adam's brows raised. "I can't believe it. I mean, after what happened in that fire, there hasn't been anyone in his life. And then Karin shows up, and it's like someone waved a magic wand."

That's how Cassie felt about her and Adam. "I know the feeling." She felt her face heat up, and that was reflected on Adam's face.

"It's not the same, Cassie. You and I were meant to be." It was simply stated, but the full weight of his feelings was hovering behind that statement.

"Maybe we're not the only ones."

Adam shifted slightly in his seat, and did that itch at his face thing that meant he was uneasy. "Maybe not."

She noticed Faye and Melissa trotting down the hill toward them. "We have company."

Adam rolled his eyes. "Can you make us disapparate?"

Cassie laughed. "Sorry, I didn't get to that book."

And with that, they steeled themselves for Hurricane Faye to blow in and cause general chaos.


	40. Chapter 40

40

Karin's left hand rested lightly on her abdomen as she trailed behind the realtor. #17 was the last house on Crowhaven Road, and it had belonged to her family once. A little over a century ago, her great-grandfather had lost the deed in high stakes poker, and it had been owned by the Hanovers ever since.

Its last resident was Regina Hanover, a stubborn centenarian who finally agreed to assisted living, much to the relief of her harried son and daughter. Neither one of them wanted the expense and upkeep of a rambling Queen Anne manor with wraparound porches and peeling paint, so the house went up for sale.

A day after it was listed, Karin called Kinsella Realty on behalf of her and Ethan, and he reluctantly agreed to meet them up there. They waited for ten minutes and she finally glimpsed his dusty truck lumbering up the hill.

He and Adam jumped out and caught up with them on the front porch. Adam offered Karin a fleeting smile before casting his opaline gaze out to sea. "Amazing view," he commented idly.

The realtor fell into her sales pitch and Adam became her best friend as they moved inside to the two story foyer, stained glass reflections spilling through and turning them riotous shades of red, yellow, and blue. "Why are we here?" Ethan asked plainly.

Karin ran her hand down the balustrade. "We need a bigger space."

Ethan looked up at the vaulted ceiling. "For three people?"

"More like five," Karin said, watching his face as her words registered.

"What are you saying? You can't be…we were careful," Ethan said quietly.

Karin smiled. "Sure, but shit happens."

That didn't reassure him. "I don't…I'm not equipped to take care of little kids."

She circled around with an outstretched hand. "But I am, and this place is a steal."

He frowned. "Not for me, Karin."

Karin knew his pride was taking a beating. "I know, Eth, but this is happening."

Adam overheard the last few words as he walked up. "What's happening?"

The realtor hovered in the background. "Do you folks need a few minutes?"

Ethan's mind was already made up. "Nope, we're done here."

He turned his back and pushed through the front door, leaving a confused Adam looking between her and his Dad. "You mind telling me what's going on?"

Karin might not have her magic, but she still had the powers of her mind. With a tiny smile, she gently pushed Adam into comprehension, and his intake of breath meant the message was delivered. "We'll talk later," she said as he finally followed his Dad to the truck.

* * *

><p>"What the hell is wrong with you?" Adam demanded as Ethan drove on silently.<p>

His father slowed the truck down as a deer cantered across the road. "I don't know, son. I was damaged a long time ago."

Adam's breath hissed out. "_That's_ the excuse you're going to use? You've been alone for almost twenty years, and the moment someone asks for a commitment, you run like a coward."

Ethan scrubbed his fingers through his hair as they arrived home. "I love Karin, but I didn't expect…_this_."

Adam suddenly realized something. "Oh, my God, this happened with me, didn't it?"

His father nodded. "And I did the right thing by your Mom."

"But you never loved her."

Ethan didn't bother denying it. "I did my best, Adam."

He sighed. "And we both know how that turned out."

His Dad smiled sadly. "You're the one good thing that came from that time, Adam."

"Maybe, but now you have to man up."

The muscles moved in Ethan's jaw. "I don't think I can."

Adam felt his body tensing up. "You don't have a choice, Dad."

Ethan shook his head. "How do I know they're even mine?"

His guts roiled in disgust. "They _are_."

"Are you sure about that?"

"I _connected_ with them…Alicia and Michael."

"She's already named them?" Ethan asked in disbelief, completely missing the part about connections.

"More like they came with names already chosen."

His Dad's eyes widened, but that was the only reaction Adam got before Ethan trudged inside, grabbing his bottle on the way back to his easy chair and oblivion.

* * *

><p>Cassie led Adam into the living room. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you," she said as they settled onto the couch.<p>

He was shaking like a leaf and she pulled a comforter over his shoulders. "I understand."

"What did your Dad say?"

Adam rolled his eyes. "That he wants no part of it."

That didn't sound like the gentle man Cassie had grown so fond of. "_Really_? I can't believe that."

He lifted the blanket and she joined him under its feathery warmth. "I _can_," Adam said, hurt bleeding into his words like a distracting screech.

"I know he loves her," Cassie said with conviction.

Adam scratched absently at his face. "It's not enough."

She took his hand in hers. "What more does he want?"

He shrugged. "No idea. But I'll be damned if I let him walk away from this. Those kids are his, and like it or not, they're his responsibility too."

Cassie had a strong feeling that it would all work out. "I think he knows that, but he needs time."

Adam's brows raised slightly. "How much is enough?"

She'd seen the house Karin wanted to buy and knew it was a keeper. "Try not to worry. They'll figure it out."

He smiled tightly. "I hope so."

"So, are you moving up there?"

"I haven't given it much thought."

"But?"

"As soon as the twins arrive, I'll probably move."

"And what if your Dad stays behind?"

Adam made a face. "I won't let him."

That steadfast resolve was one of the things she loved about him, and she sensed that he'd need it to get his father on board.


	41. Chapter 41

41

_what i know__  
><em>_is i never knew__  
><em>_nothing__  
><em>_so i know that__  
><em>_i need to learn__  
><em>_where to go?__  
><em>_,woe,woe,woe._

_Vacuum Boots, Lyrics by The Brian Jonestown Massacre_

Adam woke up to see his Dad passed out in his chair, which meant he'd pulled an all night bender. He shook his Dad's shoulders, "Wake up. Morning shift starts in twenty minutes."

Ethan's eyelids creaked open with an almost audible groan. "What happened?"

Adam pointed at the empty bottle of bourbon. "That did. Any questions?"

His father pressed one hand to his temple. "Nothing that coffee and aspirin won't solve."

Adam poured out some coffee and thrust it into Ethan's hands. "You know you're hopeless, right?"

Ethan nodded with a wince. "Knew that long ago, son."

Adam sat across from his father. "Are we done with self-flagellation?"

"Not yet. I need my hair shirt."

"And your crown of thorns?"

The religious reference made Ethan smile, for he'd always been an unrepentant pagan. "Karin has that one covered."

"Yeah, no kidding."

"Did she stop by?"

Adam said, "Nope. And she won't, either."

"Because it's all on me."

His father was no dummy, but he wasn't exactly the sort to put it all on the line either. "Yup."

Ethan looked around their threadbare surroundings. "This is no place for kids."

"Probably not." Adam had always hated the fact that he lived behind a bar, but he'd never voiced a complaint.

"But neither is that mausoleum on the hill."

Adam sighed. "Dad, it's a beautiful house."

"Maybe it was once, but not anymore."

"What do you mean?"

His father cupped his chin in his steepled hands. "Christina Hanover died there, and nobody knows why."

"Was she a friend?"

Ethan nodded. "One of Amelia's closest friends, and she died up there on the night of the boatyard fire."

Adam was instantly creeped out. "Was Blackwell behind this?"

His Dad shrugged. "Maybe. All I know is, I could feel Christina even before I walked in."

Adam hadn't felt a thing, but he could only imagine how it would feel. "So tell Karin. Maybe she can cleanse the place."

"You think it's that simple, Adam? I'm the one who found Christina, and I'll never forget the sheer terror on her face."

OK, so this was a dilemma, but one that was easily solved. "Does Karin know about this?"

"It's possible, but I don't think she'd push her agenda so much if she knew."

Adam also doubted Karin would inflict that sort of cruelty on anyone. "Let me talk to her."

Ethan stood. "You'd do that for me?"

Sure, especially if it lit the fire under his Dad's butt. "Sure. Look, I better get moving, or I'll be late for school."

Karin was late getting to work and was waylaid by Dee in the parking lot. "You can't buy that house."

What, did the whole world know what she was up to? "I've already given them a deposit."

"Get it back. That house is cursed."

She set down her coffee. "How so?"

"By Christina Hanover."

Karin's head came up. "That was a long time ago, Dee."

"So was the boatyard fire, but nobody's forgotten that, have they?"

"Christina wasn't part of that."

"Maybe not, but it was Ethan who found her."

Now _that_ she hadn't known. "Interesting. Were they close?"

"Very much so. There was one summer when Heather, Amelia, Ethan, and Christina were inseparable. I remember it so clearly, because they frequented my coffee shop."

She'd been away at college during those years, stopping back home only briefly to visit family and friends. "I see. I'll look for something else then."

Dee nodded. "You could always buy the place you're in now."

"The price is sky high, even for Chance Harbor."

"How about the cottage above the lake?"

Karin crinkled her eyes. "Do you mean Peggy Whitmore's place?"

"The very same. She's selling off her assets and moving to Vancouver."

Peggy's bright abode came to mind, and she remembered its dazzling views and gorgeous gardens winding down the hill to the lake. "I'll give her a call."

Dee handed her a card. "Let me know what she says."

Everything seemed to be in a holding pattern, and to Cassie, life still felt unresolved.

Like how could they really be sure the shade of John Blackwell was permanently put to rest? And what about Francis Balcoin? If his essence had been contained in the red crystal, then where had it gone when it exploded?

Nobody wanted to discuss it, but it had to be put on the table.

Things in their circle were still shaky, with tons of Fayana drama and simmering resentment. The subject of their murderous, conniving parents was the elephant in the room, and she so didn't want to go there.

Even Adam was cautious on this subject, telling her that no good deed went unpunished. If she insisted on bringing certain people to justice, they would never get through it, and the blame would fall on Cassie and Karin.

"So I'm supposed to forget this ever happened? I'm supposed to pretend my Mom's death was really an accident?" Cassie followed Adam around as he bussed tables, wiping each surface clean after he finished up.

"No, of course not." Adam spotted Karin parking her car, and the way his father instantly went to full attention. "Just give it some time."

Cassie followed the action as she stood to his left. "Good advice all around."

Ethan went outside and stopped Karin at the front door. He opened his arms and she hugged him tight. Her lips moved softly, and Cassie made out, "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"I guess, yeah," Adam said, relief flooding his face as Ethan and Karin walked hand in hand toward the dock. "So, hey, I wanted to ask you something."

"What's that?" Cassie loved Adam's uncertain smile and the slight shyness evident in his expression.

"What are you doing Friday night? I thought we could go into town for dinner and catch a movie on campus."

Her smile widened. "I'd love that."

"I told you we'd get around to that date." Adam's eyes darkened and when the kiss came, her senses exploded as he deepened it almost immediately. His tongue darted between her lips and levered her mouth open under his. She was normally self conscious about PDA, but nobody was around to see him push her against the wall and grind his hips in a way that made his intentions clear.

Somebody coughed and they broke apart to see Ethan smiling at them. With an embarrassed smile, Cassie said, "I should probably go. See you tomorrow?"

His finger traced a path across the top of her hand. "Count on it," he said, his wine dark voice husky with passion.


	42. Chapter 42

42

Karin was happier than she'd been in a long time. Whatever had been bothering Ethan had passed, and he was seemingly on board with the news that he'd be a father again - _twice_. He'd even agreed to meet her in the morning to check out Peggy's place. "She's down here every day for coffee. Too bad she's leaving."

"Yeah, too bad," was all Karin could muster as a million thoughts zinged through and at her.

They'd discussed Christina, and Karin said she'd never felt anything off about the Hanover house. If Christina's spirit had been lurking, she'd have felt her presence. But no matter, she didn't care where she lived as long as it wasn't behind the Boathouse bar. "Are you OK?"

That was a loaded question. "For the moment," Karin answered.

Ethan furrowed his brow with concern. "What do you mean?"

She'd hugged herself against the cool sea breeze. "It's not over, Ethan. _He's_ still out there."

He'd run his hand down her arm. "I'm sure Rob will show up."

"Not him."

"Are you saying the spell didn't work?"

"No, it _did_, just not the way I'd hoped."

"So what are you really saying, K?"

She remembered the crystal exploding, and a moment before she'd passed out, a shadow had loomed over her before disappearing into the night. "Francis Balcoin is loose."

"How can that be?"

Karin said, "_They_ be spelled his essence into that crystal before he was burned alive, and I let him out."

"_They_?"

"The Salem witches."

There was no putting the genie back in the bottle. Her power was gone, and even their collective strength would not defeat him. In the end, a sacrifice would be made to balance the harm she had caused.

"You sound like you know them," Ethan said.

"I didn't just know them, I _was_ one of them. Until they cast me out."

"So what happens now?" Ethan took her revelations in stride, as if time traveling witches were the norm rather than the freak show she really was.

Karin had let out a long sigh. "Someone dies."

That was the moment he spotted Adam and Cassie getting into it, saving her from telling him exactly how it would go down.

* * *

><p><em>Someone dies.<em>

Those words rang endlessly in Cassie's head after she'd picked up on Karin's thoughts.

And worse than that, she kept seeing an endless stream of images which all ended with Karin's death.

_I can't let that happen. Adam and his father need her. The Circle needs her. _I _need her. _

"I have to tell someone," she said to herself, suddenly knowing there was only one person to confide in.

Cassie drove home at record speed and she found Jane in the kitchen. Her thoughts spilled out into a word torrent that nearly drowned her audience. "Hold up, Cassie. Are you sure about this?"

She nodded. "Positive. Karin blames herself for everything."

"That may be so, but she has a reason to live." Jane smiled knowingly.

"She's playing a waiting game."

"Karin's not thinking straight. Francis could drop in anytime without us knowing it. He could be anyone, so everyone is suspect."

Except for the twins. She'd felt them too, just as Adam had described, and their innocence was total. "How do we stop this?"

"I'm not sure we can, Cassie. Your ancestor was an evil man, who excelled at abusing power. And Sibyl was his daughter. Like it or not, she knows the old ways and is a force unto herself."

Cassie made a face. "We have to do something."

"Without her power, we're no match for him."

Her mind was forming and tossing out solutions at a rapid pace. "Unless we trick him."

Jane cocked her head. "Trick him how?"

Cassie outlined her plan and Jane's eyes twinkled. "That's ingenious, and might just work."

"It _has_ to work."

"What will you tell Adam?"

"_Nothing_. This stays between us."

"Are you sure that's wise? He always knows when you're lying."

"That's a chance I'll take."


	43. Chapter 43

43

Faye parked her butt on Diana's car and waited, favoring Diana with a phony smile when she showed up after the final bell. "How'd you like to visit the uni library with me?"

Diana tossed her knapsack into the back. "I don't. Get off my car."

"Not until you agree that it's time to visit the sassy librarian."

Diana rolled her eyes. "I have better ways to waste my time."

"She owes us answers."

"How does that work? Do we take out the Tarot cards and hope the Queen of Swords doesn't stab us in the back?"

Faye smirked. "She's not into props."

"Don't care. Now get out of my way."

"Seriously, Diana, the bitch owes us. She's accused our parents of killing people. I want retribution."

Diana sighed. "What if she's right?"

That was a distinct possibility. "What if she is? She can't prove it."

"And neither can we. So we're back to square one."

Diana had this maddening way of thrusting cool logic in her face. "Maybe so, but I'm getting in her face. She can't threaten us."

"She _hasn't_."

"Of course she has. Just by spreading lies, she's torn the Circle apart."

Diana had one foot in the car. "Only because we let it happen."

This was a losing battle. "Have it your way, but don't blame me if the cops come calling."

"You _wouldn't_."

"Oh, but I _would_. If they come after my Mom, then your Dad's going down too."

Faye took off in a huff, and when she saw Jake perched on her car, it did nothing to improve her already foul mood. "What?"

"Want some company?"

She sniffed like she smelled something rotten. "No thanks."

"You sure? Someone's got to keep the peace while you flail away at a helpless woman."

Faye snorted. "You're kidding, right? Karin Balcoin is the Wicked Witch."

Jake smirked. "Not anymore she's not. She and the Crowhaven coven did some big mojo that wiped out Blackwell, and she lost her powers."

Now _that_ news made her day. "You don't say. So maybe we can threaten her into silence."

Jake shook his head. "That won't work with her. Besides, you don't want to piss off those old crones who have her back."

"You think a few old women scare me?" Faye said with a laugh.

He rolled his eyes. "More than a few of them, Faye, and they know the old ways."

Something clicked in her mind and she managed not to shudder. "Is Adam's grandmother part of that group?"

Jake nodded. "Hardly. She's done nothing but rain hate on them. She's also put fear of the Goddess into the Elders. You don't want to mess with that lady."

Margaret Mary Conant was a fiercely intelligent and formidable woman, and nobody crossed her. She didn't care much for her son Ethan, but doted on Adam. Perhaps she could use that to her advantage. "You're right."

"I don't like that gleam in your eyes. What do you have in mind?"

Faye grinned. "You'll see. It'll be fun."


	44. Chapter 44

44

Friday was a momentous day for Adam. He and Cassie were finally appearing in public together, and he didn't care who saw them. Around the college, it wasn't likely they'd run into Diana or anyone else in the Circle, but so what if they did?

His Dad smiled broadly when he heard the news. "It's about time."

Adam smiled as he cleaned up the bar. "For you too, Dad."

Ethan's grin faded slightly. "Your grandmother would disagree."

"Aw, she's not that bad. I'll work on her." Adam was soft-pedaling it, for he doubted his grandmother would approve of Karin or her situation with Ethan.

His Dad sighed. "Thanks, but I should probably tell her the news."

"Are you sure? We could go together."

Ethan put his hand on Adam's shoulder. "I appreciate it, but Karin and I already discussed this."

Mary would instantly sense that Karin wasn't what she seemed. And if the truth spilled out, it would be finished before it started. Mary would make Ethan's life a living hell, and Adam doubted Karin would make waves with Mary. "Let me come with you."

His Dad visibly hesitated. "It's early tomorrow morning. Jim is covering for me until I get back."

Adam nodded as he glanced at the clock. "No problem. I better run, or I'll be late for school."

* * *

><p>Cassie was rummaging in her locker when Faye accosted her. "Bet you'd like to know where I've been."<p>

"Bet I wouldn't." Her retort cracked like a whip, but fell on Faye's deaf ears.

"I visited Adam's sweet grandmother and told her all about Karin Balcoin."

She managed not to react. "And I'm supposed to care because?"

Faye's shit eating grin slipped a notch. "Your name came up."

"Oh, goodie. What's next, tea and crumpets?"

"More like Jack and soda tossed with lime."

"Mmm, and I bet she doesn't like to drink alone," Cassie said, insinuating that Faye was the sort to get liquored up.

Faye's grin returned. "You're right. And I have to say, she really took to Jake."

Cassie had no interest in the ongoing misadventures of Chamberlake. "But not you?"

"On the contrary, she thought I was very helpful."

"Of course you were."

The bell rang and Cassie started to step away when Faye said, "Don't you want to know what she said about destiny?"

"I can only imagine."

"It's a load of crap."

"I agree."

"Really?"

Cassie smiled. "That you're full of shit? Absolutely."

The second bell rang and she smirked in Faye's face before running off to AP English.

* * *

><p>Adam caught up with Cassie on the way to the parking lot. "Faye getting on your case again?"<p>

She smiled. "Just the usual Faye drama."

"What is it this time, whining about crystals or accusing you of nefarious deeds?"

Cassie laughed. "She had a new angle. Something about scooping your grandmother on hot new romances in the Conant family."

Adam's heart skipped a beat. "Faye actually said that?"

"More or less. Is that bad?"

He smiled like it meant nothing. "Nothing I can't handle. Dad and I are going to see my grandmother in the morning. You can tag along if you want."

"I think I'll pass," Cassie said. "My grandmother needs help getting the garden ready, and I sort of promised I'd help."

"No problem." They got to her car and he touched her arm lightly. "Pick you up around 6?"

Cassie nodded. "See you then."

* * *

><p>Faye spotted Adam headed at her with murder in his eyes. "I heard you visited my grandmother."<p>

"That's right. We reminisced about her days with Henry." The two had dated half a millennium ago, and Faye never lost a chance to bring it up.

"We both know why you were there, Faye. My personal life is none of your business."

Faye leaned against her car with a smirk. "It is when it affects the Circle, and I'd say that Cassie and Karin have done far more than their share of damage."

There was a tiny grain of truth in Faye's usual web of lies. "No more than what you've done, Faye."

Her expression soured. "_Whatever_. Don't you want to hear what she had to say?"

Adam had no desire to hear Faye's version of anything. "I'll find out for myself this weekend. "

"Lucky you. She's really got her dander up."

"No thanks to you." He watched her retreat as Melissa caught up with her, apologetic expression flashing over her shoulder before linking her arm with Faye's.

Adam turned and saw Diana eyeing him warily. "I heard what happened."

He sighed. "Where does she get off?"

She walked alongside him. "You know how she is."

"That doesn't make it right, Diana."

She exhaled in frustration. "How do you think I feel? She was threatening to go to the cops and rat out my Dad."

"With what proof?"

"_Exactly_. We need to corral her before this gets further out of hand."

This sounded like the old Diana. "How do we do that?"

"Maybe _talking_ to Karin will help. I don't know, maybe she can help contain this or something."

"Without her magic?"

"That is a sticking point, but she still knows all those spells."

That was the understatement of the century. "OK, I kind of see what you mean. I'll see what I can do."

Diana nodded her thanks before moving off toward her own car.

* * *

><p>Cassie's grandmother fussed over her hair and brought in a gorgeous little black dress. "Grandma, this is too much. We're only going to dinner and a movie."<p>

"You think Adam will show up in jeans and a T-shirt?"

She had a point. Even at the most casual of dances, Adam had worn a tie. "Maybe not."

"_Exactly_." Jane held the dress up against Cassie and nodded her approval. "This is the ticket."

"Where did this come from?"

"It was your mother's," Jane said heavily, the sparkle in eyes fading as memories took hold.

The silk dress looked brand new. "Never worn?"

"Only once to the prom with Ethan Conant."

A wave of sadness hit Cassie. "I'd be honored to wear it. Thanks."

It was a simple dress, but its lines followed and enhanced her curves. When she came downstairs to model it for Jane, Adam was already waiting and his mouth opened slightly at the sight of her. He was dressed in perfectly creased black trousers and a shimmering shirt that matched his eyes. It was perfect, sexy, and flamboyant, and something only Adam could pull off with panache. Any other guy would have looked silly, but he made it elegant. "Wow," escaped from her and she felt heat climb up her neck as he smiled shyly, his eyes falling to her feet before traveling up her body with a studied slowness that ended as his smoldering gaze snared hers.

"We should go," Adam said when Jane broke their mutual enchantment with a cough.

"Umm, yeah. We won't be late, Grandma."

She looked at her watch. "Can I expect Cinderella by 11?"

Adam grinned. "I think so. The movie gets out around 10:30."

"Call me if anything comes up."

Cassie saw something pass between Jane and Adam before he nodded. "Sure."

* * *

><p>Adam swallowed hard as he looked over at his dazzling Cassie, still not believing she had chosen him. "You look beautiful," he said, his voice lowering to its usual whisper as emotion overtook him.<p>

Cassie beamed at him. "So do you."

That broke the tension a little. "What, this little thing? Just something I had hanging around."

Her smile widened at the Ten Things reference. "Same here."

His eyebrows rose slightly. "You're kidding, right? That's fit for a prom, unless I miss my guess."

Cassie turned away from him. "It was my Mom's."

Adam had missed something. "I'm sorry."

She turned to face him, tears glistening on her cheeks from reflected lamplight. "It's OK. She went to the prom with your Dad wearing it."

That explained Jane's odd behavior when he'd arrived, just a second before Cassie came trotting down the stairs. She'd looked between them with tense eyes, and now he sort of understood. Jane was reliving her own daughter's time with Ethan, and comparing the two. Adam wasn't sure he'd come out on top, for he looked and acted a lot like his Dad. "Those were happy times for him."

"I'm glad."

Cassie stayed silent until they arrived at a cozy pub near the college. He'd eaten there a few times with Diana, and liked its private booths and live jazz music. Cassie apparently agreed, for her fingers started tapping along with the beat and a smile hovered on her lips. "What's good here?" she asked him as her blue eyes scoured the extensive menu.

"You can't go wrong with seafood or steak."

They ended up ordering appetizers and a seafood and steak platter for two. As they waited for their entrée, Cassie tucked into some bacon wrapped scallops. "My favorite," she admitted as she popped a scallop into her mouth.

Adam laughed. "Do I need to order another appetizer?"

"Maybe so." There was only one left and she finally speared it and held it up to his mouth. Adam took it delicately between his teeth and loved the way her eyes watched his mouth. Clearly, she was hungry for more than just scallops and he wondered if they should ditch the movie for more intimate activity. But no, he'd promised her a date and that is what she would have, even if it ended in the back of his truck.

Cassie grew more animated over dinner and he learned things about her he'd never realized. Like the fact that she hated opera (high pitched noises hurt her ears), adored British folk, followed car racing, and loved to write poetry. And in turn, he told her about his art (a sheaf of charcoal sketches, mostly of Diana and his Dad), dancing, and science fiction fixation (Terminator, the Arnold years).

Some folks got up to dance, and Adam held out his hand. "Shall we?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

The smooth jazz was sensual in a Kind of Blue vibe. Cassie surprised him by saying, "I love Miles Davis. Sketches in Spain is my favorite."

Adam pulled her closer and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Mine too," he said softly.

Cassie said, "Don't laugh, but this is my first date."

If Adam hadn't known about her loner status, he would have called her on that. "I won't. What was wrong with those other guys anyway?"

That brought out her beautiful smile. "They thought I was a freak."

"Why?"

She shrugged. "Guess they didn't appreciate my taste in literature."

"Let me guess. Ethan Frome meets The Scarlet Letter?"

"More like H. crossed with Shakespeare."

"Are you into poetry slams?"

Cassie nodded. "I bet they have them at that coffee shop near the college."

"They do. It gets pretty intense sometimes. You should sign up."

She smiled. "I'll give that some thought."

The rest of the night was a sweet interlude in a sea of darkness. They laughed their way through "It's a Mad, Mad World," and ended up on the point in a passionate clench. Adam was crazy with desire and covered Cassie from head to toe with kisses and caresses that made her back arch. With curled toes, she dug her heels into his naked back and urged him on as he thrust into her with increasing force. Their senses galloped to the cliff's edge and jumped together into oblivion. When they could finally form coherent thought, they glanced at the time and saw it was well past 11. "Crap." Cassie finally managed to get her dress back in place. Her silk panties were a lost cause and she tucked them in her handbag with a laugh. "This slam was better than any other kind," she said when they got to the front door.

"Good to know." He saw a shadow moving behind the door and decided to be on his way before Jane gave him an earful. Besides, his grandmother would tear him and his Dad a new one when they arrived there tomorrow.


	45. Chapter 45

45

Karin knew Margaret Conant by reputation only, but that was enough to send her anxiety spiraling. She waited in the lane closest to Margaret's tidy home, the sort where you tiptoe around and speak with hushed tones lest you disturb its owner. Ethan and Adam were on time, but appeared equally somber, and the gloom of an early Saturday morning did nothing to dispel their collective mood. "So we've been summoned," Adam joked.

"So it would seem," Karin said.

They walked together to the front door, which opened as if on command. "Enter," said a powerful woman's voice, commanding them with her very tone to do her bidding.

The interior was dimmed by lowered shades, and Margaret's face was hidden in shadow. "So you're the one who's turned Ethan's head. Come here where I can see you." Margaret turned on a lamp closest to her chair and stared up at Karin with inscrutable blue eyes.

"I'm Karin."

"I know exactly who you are. _Sit_."

Karin balanced herself on a wobbly stool and watched Ethan and Adam arrange themselves on a lumpy sofa. This was a house meant to shun visitors by any means necessary, as if its owner wasn't enough to give one permanent nightmares. The woman's power was so palpable that Karin started feeling queasy, and that only increased as Margaret stared her down. "What do you want with my son?"

"I love him."

Margaret made a scoffing motion with her hand. "Perhaps you do, but it's not why you're here. This all comes down to the love of William Conant, and we both know he's not Ethan."

Adam looked ready to jump to her defense but Karin shook her head. "You're right, but it doesn't matter."

Ethan's beautiful eyes bore into hers. "What does she mean, Karin?"

Karin cut off Margaret's sharp retort. "He was the man I loved back in Salem, but he only had eyes for Samantha Blake. I couldn't compete with that."

Now Margaret got her two cents in. "But you're forgetting the best part. Your lovely fortune teller had a vision that William would be reborn in this generation, only she got the dates wrong. She was off by 19 years."

That hit home with Adam before Ethan caught on, but he paled when it finally sunk in. "Karin, why is my mother saying these things?"

Karin met his gaze, willing him to know that none of it mattered now. She loved only him, and nothing would change that. But his growing distress forced her response of, "Because it's partially true."

The muscles in Ethan's jaw worked as he looked at his mother. "How do you even know these things?"

Margaret leaned forward and speared them all with her sharp gaze. "Word gets around. I also know that the coven on Crowhaven Road is in this up to their eyeballs."

She didn't know the half of it. "You got me, Margaret. My position is indefensible."

"Damn straight it is." Margaret pulled her shawl around her shoulders and sat silently for a moment before gazing at Adam and abruptly changing the subject. "One of your friends visited me the other day."

Adam's eyes glittered. "Let me guess. Faye Chamberlain?"

Margaret's smile never reached her eyes. "She's her mother's daughter."

"I suppose she filled your head with her usual lies."

"Not at all. In fact, she was very happy to tell me you've found love with the Blake girl."

Karin watched Adam's face twitch in annoyance. "What else did she say?"

"Nothing much. We talked about Henry Chamberlain, and the weird way he died."

Karin ignored Adam's warning glance. "You mean the way he was _murdered_?"

Margaret looked at her with distaste. "He died of a heart attack."

She looked at her fingers before staring hard at the old lady. "Did he now? Well you would know."

Margaret's rage was palpable. "Don't you dare be uppity with me, _Sibyl_ Balcoin. You think wearing that cross protects you? When Francis comes around, you'll be the first one he visits."

Karin nodded. "And I'll be waiting."

An uncomfortable silence fell over them like a pall and finally Ethan said, "We should get going. The restaurant doesn't run itself."

Margaret sniffed in disdain. "Of course it does. How else can you explain its existence after so many years in a drunken stupor?"

Adam shot to his feet with balled fists. "That's quite enough. Let's go, Dad."

Karin cut in, "But not before we break the news, Adam."

"What news?" Margaret asked crossly.

She patted her belly. "Ethan and I are expecting twins."

Karin had to suppress a smile when Margaret nearly fell out of her chair. Whatever she had been expecting, it wasn't that. "This wasn't supposed to happen."

Now she grinned, leaning over to pat the old lady's shoulder. "Oh, but it was, Margaret. With this man, and in this time. Because when I came forward and finally met Ethan, I knew he was the one, not William."

And with that, she turned her back on Ethan's mother and made her way out the door. Ethan and Adam were close behind her, and when they were out of sight of the house, Adam said, "What the hell was all that about?"

Karin looked out to sea for a moment before looking at the two Conant men. "_My_ destiny."


	46. Chapter 46

46

Adam headed straight to Cassie's house and strode quickly to the back garden. She and Jane were up to their elbows in peat moss, and Cassie looked downright adorable with dirt dotting her face like a chain of freckles on her snowy white skin. "Hey," he said. "Need a hand?"

Jane put him immediately to work on her dahlias, which were finally going in for the season. Digging the holes worked up a good sweat and took his mind off the stuff his grandmother had said. When they finished one bed, it was nearly lunch time, so Jane invited him in for a bite to eat. She set down lemonade and thick ham and cheese sandwiches. They were all ravenous, so it was awhile before Cassie asked, "So how did it go?"

Adam rolled his eyes. "Not well."

Jane said, "Margaret's always been rather opinionated."

He laughed at that huge understatement. "Well, she managed to piss off all three of us, and now my Dad and Karin are at odds." Adam launched into the whole story while they listened with growing disbelief.

Cassie said, "So you're saying that _you_ are supposed to be the reborn William Conant?"

"When you say it like that, it sounds ridiculous," Adam said.

Jane shook her head. "Karin wouldn't make a mistake like that."

That had him puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Anyone with the ability to cast a spell like that would know exactly the time and place she would emerge," Jane said.

That brightened his day. "So you're saying she really chose my Dad?"

Jane nodded. "Absolutely. I've seen the two of them, and there can be no doubt."

"That's great, but now Karin keeps talking about Francis Balcoin and a sacrifice," Adam stated. "Does that make any sense to you?"

Jane and Cassie exchanged uneasy glances. "Not really," Cassie said.

"What are you keeping from me?" Adam could easily smoke out a lie or subterfuge, and Cassie sucked at both, so he'd ferret it out of her.

Cassie sighed and handed him a beautiful white stone with fluted edges. "This."

"Am I supposed to know what this is?"

Jane jumped in. "It's a chalcedony rose. Rather rare around here, and a stone that aligns with our magic."

It looked like a big white stone to him. "So what?"

They swapped glances again before Cassie answered with, "It can be used as a _vessel_ - for Francis."

Were they crazy? There was no way the guy would fall for that. "_Seriously_? He just got out of jail, you think he'll jump at the chance to return?"

"Of course not, unless we trick him," Cassie said with a half smile.

Adam had his doubts. "I don't know, Cassie. Those are awfully long odds. I'm sure Karin will figure something out when he makes his move."

She walked with him to the door and hugged him hard. "I wasn't going to tell you."

Adam touched her cheek and loved the way she leaned into his hand. "No more lies, remember?"

"Mmm," she said as if in a daze. "That was me telling you. Are we good?"

He shook his head. "Not yet." Adam leaned down and kissed each side of her mouth before molding her lips to his. He took his time kissing her, and moaned when her tongue traced the contours of his mouth.

Cassie leaned back slightly and gazed up at him innocently. "And now?"

Adam laughed. "I need a bit more convincing."

She stood on tiptoe and kissed his nose. "My grandmother's watching."

He turned to see Jane regarding them with amusement. "Thanks for stopping by, Adam. We'll see you soon?"

Adam nodded a few times. "Umm, yeah, sure. See you both later."

The door closed behind him, but not before he heard their light laughter at his expense. He looked back to see Cassie making googly eyes through the glass, and he stuck out his tongue before heading down the walk to his truck. As he passed Jake's house, he saw Jake sitting on his front steps. He threw Jake a sarcastic wave before picking up speed and heading back to the Boathouse, where a ton of work was waiting for him.


	47. Chapter 47

47

Sibyl (she'd forced herself to use that name) started writing that night, and continued every night for the next four weeks. Every spell she remembered and had performed went in that book, including the oldest magic she knew. She ignored all contact with the outside world and didn't even respond to Adam and Cassie pounding at her door. Even Ethan showed up once, and after seeing her through the window and seeing she was OK, he walked away. But she felt him right there beside her, and knowing what was to come nearly killed her. So she put it out of her mind and went on with the task at hand.

When she was finished, Sibly wrapped the book along with Francis Balcoin's grimoire in plain brown paper. With a sigh, she dialed Jane and Dee and asked them both to stop by. When all were gathered around her kitchen table, she offered them green tea and told them what she believed to be true. "There is no other way," she said at the end.

"And the babies?" Jane asked with concern.

"Karin will do the right thing."

Dee said, "Maybe you should wait until they are born."

Sibyl shook her head. "Francis will come on Beltane as we perform The Great Rite."

"_We_?" Sibyl knew Jane's stance on sex magic, even the symbolic kind.

Dee nodded. "We will crown our new high priest and priestess."

Jane's eyes suddenly filled with certain knowledge. "The Elders won't allow it."

Sibyl smiled gently. "We don't answer to them, Jane, and they can hardly stop this. Adam and Cassie are the chosen ones."

"It's sacrilege to interfere with their circle."

Dee jumped in. "You mean the one that's falling apart where all the members distrust one another?"

Jane sighed. "You have a point, Deirdre, but you're overstepping your bounds."

Sibyl stood up suddenly. "Then let it be a symbolic joining only, leaving them free to make their own choice. Will that work?"

There was far more at stake here than either of them was saying. Jane finally said, "I think it will. What else do you need me to do?"

Sibyl handed her the wrapped package. "Give this to Cassie after I'm gone."

Jane opened her mouth to protest, but seeing the look in Sibyl's eyes, she finally nodded and tucked the package in her satchel. "Is there anything I can say to change your mind?"

"There's no other way."

"Doesn't Ethan get a say?"

Her eyes filled with tears. "He was always the end game, and now the game is up."

She knew they didn't understand, and wouldn't really get it until the moment before Francis snatched her away. And then she'd let them see all her evil deeds, right up to the moment when she'd stolen Karin Balcoin's life.


	48. Chapter 48

48

Cassie and Adam arrived at the abandoned house and Faye suppressed a snicker at their guilty looks. Even Diana knew they had hooked up, so why not get over themselves so they could return to Circle business? Faye was sick to death of the drama, even though she caused most of it. "So why drag us out here on a Sunday night?"

"The Crowhaven coven has asked us to step in as their high priest and priestess," Cassie said, her blue eyes landing on each of their faces.

Faye yawned. "Is this like some symbolic thing? Because who really gives a damn? They crown you with flowers, simulate the Great Rite, and everyone goes home."

Diana flashed her a sharp look. "It's an honor to be asked. But why you two?"

Adam shrugged. "Because we helped them get rid of John Blackwell."

Faye said, "And unleashed Francis Balcoin. Way to go."

Cassie frowned. "That wasn't our intent."

Jake's eyes narrowed. "Why aren't we included?"

Faye grinned. "Oh, are your feelings _hurt_? Trust me, you _so_ don't want to go there. Unless you like getting your clothes torn off by a bunch of horny old bags."

Adam asked, "They perform skyclad rituals?"

"Got it in one."

Cassie looked uncomfortable. "I'm sure it's not forced on anyone."

Faye laughed. "Are you sure?"

Cassie retorted, "I don't know, why don't you come along and find out?"

Faye held up her hands. "No thanks. Just be sure this symbolic thing is on the straight and narrow."

"It is."

"And you're the expert because?" Nobody had the stones to stand up to Cassie, so it might as well be her.

"I trust Karin. She wouldn't steer us wrong."

Faye snorted. "You trust a Balcoin who's stolen someone else's life? Not sure what that says about you."

"_Faye_," Adam said crossly.

Diana said, "She does have a point, Adam. You need to be careful - we all do."

"Whatever it is, I can handle it," Cassie said.

Faye sighed. "Let's hope so. Because none of us are saving your ass if something goes wrong."

* * *

><p>Sibyl toured the grounds of Peggy Whitmore's place after seeing the immaculate house. Her mind filled in play areas and other places that would delight children. "It will do," she said. "I'll take it."<p>

She filled the agent in on whose names belonged on the deed, then followed the agent to her office to sign her life away. Might as well, since her very existence on this plane would soon come to an end. She wrote a very large check and handed it to the realtor with a smile.

"This is very unusual," the agent stated uncomfortably. "There's still time to change your mind."

"I don't need any more time." Sibyl said. "Be sure this deed and the keys are given to Ethan Conant on May 2nd - no later than that date."

"Very well, Ms. Balcoin. Is there anything else?"

"That is all."

Sibyl drove back up to the cliffs where her new cottage seemed to hang over the water and decided the ritual should be here. It was a fitting location for one life ending and two lives beginning. Stairs were carved into the rock and she made her way down to the water, wind whipping her hair and cold water lapping at her toes. With a silent prayer to Neptune, she tossed a flower out into the surf and watched until it was pulled under. She turned and sensing a presence, she scanned the area for intruders. But there was nothing but the whisper of a sea breeze caressing her neck.

* * *

><p>It was the day before Beltane, and Adam's nerves were jangling. He was worried about this symbolic joining as well as what Francis Balcoin's presence portended for Karin. He paced his rooms like a caged tiger after school, and even a rousing romp with Cassie in his truck couldn't settle him down. As they lay entwined in blankets, her hands and mouth distracted him and soon turned his thoughts to more pleasurable pursuits. Cassie rode him like a Valkyrie and sent him swooning into orgasm as she moved against him rapidly. She collapsed against him, their bodies slick with sweat. "Did that help?"<p>

His laugh rumbled against her. "And then some. Let's hope we aren't expected to revive this tomorrow night."

She traced the fine dusting of hair from his collarbone to his navel. "We won't. It's not really about us anyway."

He perched on his elbow and looked down at her. "How so?"

Cassie kissed his cheek. "It's about Sibyl saying good-bye."

Adam thought about his Dad, who suffered in silence, not fully realizing what was about to happen. He'd tried bringing it up, only to be told it was none of his concern. "So maybe my Dad should be there."

"Will he come if we invite him?"

His Dad had no magic, and barely acknowledged pagan holidays. "Maybe."

"Want me to persuade him with some dark magic?"

"Naw, I'll try some old-fashioned guilt and see if that stirs the pot." Guilt was something his Dad thrived on , so it would probably work.


	49. Chapter 49

49

AN: Forgive this writer a bit of literary nonsense in this final chapter, which ends on a happy note.

_If you want to catch a star then walk my way__  
><em>_I will take you where the night is always day__  
><em>_You can follow me if you really try__  
><em>_Maybe we will find a rainbow, teach it to fly_

_Lyrics by John Martyn, Performance by Bombay Bicycle Club_

Beltane bloomed fairly and the sun shone strong on Sibyl's face. She removed the cross she had always worn for Karin's sake and gave it a fitting burial at sea. With a smile unlike anything ever seen on her host's face, she walked barefoot on the beach, enjoying it for the last time. Her white shift floated in the breeze like a main sail, only gathering around her growing belly as she strolled. She'd invited Ethan to join her, but he'd cried hangover and said he'd see her at tonight's ritual. Instead, she spotted her friend Dee on the rocks and watched as she made her way along the tide line. "It's almost done," Sibyl said, emotion cracking her voice as she linked arms with her oldest friend.

"Has your brother shown his face?" Dee asked, stopping to skip a stone across the tiny waves caressing the shore.

"No, but he called me last night. Francis will make sure he shows up."

"Is that part of your deal?"

"_Deal_?" Sibyl smiled enigmatically as she watched gulls flying low on the water.

"With Neptune. I seem to recall that you owed him a favor."

There was nothing she could get past her friend. "Perhaps that is so. Does it matter?"

Dee tugged sharply on her elbow. "Of course it matters! Have you learned nothing all these years? Human life is precious, and we never take it for granted."

Sibyl looked down at Karin's body. "She will not miss him much. There is no love lost between them, and without his power, he is nothing but a shell."

"Even so, you cannot be so cavalier about someone's life. Be sure to respect him properly when you sacrifice him."

"I will do that." Sibyl hugged her friend and added, "And I will see you on the other side."

* * *

><p><em>When you awaken in the morning's hush<em>_  
><em>_I am the swift uplifting rush__  
><em>_Of quiet birds in circling flight.__  
><em>_I am the soft star-shine at night.__  
><em>_Do not stand at my grave and cry,__  
><em>_I am not there; I did not die.__  
>Prayer, Poem by Mary Elizabeth Frye, Song by Lizzie West<em>

Stars burned in the evening sky, more luminous than the brightest diamond. The scent of magnolias and sea salt filled Cassie's senses as she stood gathered on the beach with the others. A bonfire burned between in the fire pit, and boughs of flowers were racked on driftwood. Adam held her hand tightly as the Crowhaven witches chanted in Latin, then switched to English for their benefit. Dee and Sibyl came to them with crowns of white roses, and they accepted them with grave expressions. Everyone stayed clothed, and instead of celebrating The Great Rite, the coven merely praised and gave thanks to the Goddess.

It was only after most of the witches scattered that Sibyl took Ethan's hand and bent her head to his. They talked for a long time, and Cassie watched Ethan walk away with tears burning bright in his eyes. He said nothing to Adam as he made his way up the cliff stairs, followed in short order by Dee and Sibyl.

They got to the top and Sibyl said, "It's over, Cassie. Thank you for doing this. It means a lot to my friends, and it means the world to me."

Cassie replied, "Is there nothing we can do to help?"

Sibyl shook her head. "Tomorrow will be a new day, and I will be gone." She hugged each of them before walking away with her friend.

* * *

><p>Sibyl crouched on the rocks and waited for her brother. When he finally came, it was after 3:00. "I knew you would come."<p>

"Of course. _He_ insisted."

It wasn't so dark that she couldn't see his face, and his facial features shifted like a kaleidoscope. Suddenly her long dead father was staring back at her with glittering hatred and she accepted it as her due. "It's been a long time, Francis."

"You dare to address me by my first name?"

Sibyl smiled. "I do, and it's no more than you deserve."

"Pardon me, daughter, but wasn't it you who betrayed our coven to the Salem witch hunters?"

She nodded. "You know it was."

He looked anguished. "I taught you everything you knew, and that was how you repaid me?"

Sibyl shrugged. "You forgot the best part. I used _your_ spell to travel to this time and find a host body."

Rob/Francis's features screwed up. "And now it's time to pay the price for your treachery."

"I agree, but I will not sacrifice this body."

She felt power welling up in her brother and pushed back, suddenly realizing her own power had never really deserted her. "You will _not_," she insisted, forcing her will onto Francis and feeling his stunned surprise at her strength.

Sibyl pinned him to the rocks and heard sloshing as a being emerged from the water. It was covered in seaweed and its towering shadow enveloped them. "What is this madness?"

Her lips curled into a smile as she opened her arms and welcomed Neptune's foot soldier. "My gift to the God of the Sea."

Rob's lips opened in a silent scream as he was overcome by this watery warrior and dragged into the sea. At the exact moment she felt Rob die, Sibyl separated herself from Karin's body and soared into the night, freeing Karin and moving off into the place she was always meant to be.

* * *

><p>Epilogue, Two years later<p>

Adam and Cassie were home from college and they laughed as one redheaded twin and her blonde brother toddled around the garden. They squealed with delight on discovering lady bugs, and buried their faces in the old fashioned roses. Even at this distance, Adam could smell their wonderful scent.

"How's your Dad holding up?" Cassie asked after a long beat.

Adam looked up at the deck, where Jane and Ethan were cooking hamburgers. "Pretty good, considering everything."

"What about Karin?"

She was a silent shadow of her former self, caught up in her religion and shunning the Conant family. "She wants nothing to do with us."

"I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. They have a good life here." The twins skittered closer and Alicia held up her arms to be picked up. Adam kissed her cheek and smiled as his sister snuggled into him. Her red curls twisted like corkscrews and when she turned her face to his, he was struck anew by her resemblance to Cassie. Michael insisted on taking over Cassie's lap, and instantly started laughing when Cassie tickled his face with a stem of grass. His brother was his miniature, the spitting image of himself at the same age.

He watched Cassie look around and knew she sensed Sibyl's presence. "She never left you."

"No." Adam often saw Sibyl in his dreams, where she encouraged him and gave him advice. As for his Dad, Sibyl made contact in more visceral ways that Adam never asked about. All he knew was that his Dad wasn't drinking and seemed happy with his lot in life. The Boathouse's business had grown to the point where he'd opened a second restaurant, one which he hoped Adam would manage one day.

"And have the witch hunters caused any trouble?"

"Nope. Since that fire burned down their meeting house and killed a dozen of them, they haven't bothered us."

"When did this happen?"

"Last May, right on Beltane."

"Think Sibyl had a hand in that?"

Adam started to smile when a laugh rang out from the garden. No one was there, but he recognized that snicker. "Maybe, but nobody will ever prove it."

Cassie smiled back at him, and he wondered if they could take up where they'd left off the summer after graduation. College had separated the Circle, but they'd come together on holidays and vacations. Except for Cassie, who lived with her Blake relatives in England where she studied English at Oxford. She turned slightly pink at his scrutiny and looked at her perfectly manicured toes. "That's good to know. I'm glad things are going well for everyone."

He dared to reach for her hand and was surprised when she squeezed back. "And us?"

Cassie put his hand to her cheek and curled her fingers around his. "Better than ever."

The End


End file.
